I have a story...every person has a story....every woman has a story...
Someone steps up to the microphone, we think "here it goes again another testimony different than mine. How awesome her story, how boring mine." Someone in the corner begins to cry, "guess her story is the same." Another woman walks out of the room, "guess she is dealing with something similar." "Does anyone have the same story as me?" "Am I the only one who doesn't have something to share?" "Does my story really matter?" "Does God think I am boring?" "No one would want to listen to what I have to say." "I want to know the truth, I am seeking the truth too!" "I'm not outspoken, no one will hear me, no one will see me or notice me, I am not known." "I am not with the women's 'in' crowd." How familiar is this scene? How familiar are these thoughts? How heartbreaking are these lies? The truth is, we all at one point have had these thoughts, have had these questions. The truth is we have each fallen prey to the lies of the evil-one in regards to our stories and women. The truth is stories are important. We all have them. We were each given a story, written before time and it...is... important.
As I began my career in athletic training, my mom gave me advice, advice I have never forgotten. She explained, I truly never know what my athletes and students may be going through. I do not know what they go home to at night, and I will not unless I take time to know them. A student may be sleeping through my class because he has to work late and stay up all night protecting his siblings; an athlete may not be healing, no matter how well we rehab, only because I am the only one who sees value in her. My mom advised I must know my athletes' stories. And by knowing their stories, I would reach them in ways many cannot. She encouraged me to not look at a class or team roster and listen to what others say, but find out for myself their story. If this is true of me as an athletic trainer, of me as a medical professional, is this not even more true of me as a woman, a woman of faith, a woman desiring to make a difference for Christ? And if my athletes' stories are important, are the stories of the women in the church, my sisters in Christ, not equally as important?
So why then is one of the most difficult relationships, the relationship between women? Why do we become fearful of sharing among our sisters? Because the world has not helped in fostering this relationship, the world has set standards for women physically emotionally mentally that are impossible to reach. And the world has seeped into the core and heart of the church. The world has created a fear that if we grow to close, we will be hurt. The church has created a fear, by creating segregating programs and unspoken hierarchies, that we have nothing in common. Translating to a fear of being in different places in life thus being rejected. Because of fear, women compare, women are critical, women are cliquey. Through the world and the church, we have been hurt, have been made to feel less, have been attacked, and our relationships have suffered. We as women have fallen to the lies that other women are out to "get us" to ruin us, we have fallen to the lies that having relationships with women will end in drama and pain. How many times have I heard women, even women my age, say they have more friends who are male than female? How sad and how scary. Having professional and personal relationships with males within the context of biblical community and with heart-seeking spiritual discernment are needed. However, outside the relationship one has with their spouse, the deep meaningful truly transparent relationships we need and desire need to be developed through relationships with other women. But fear has driven us away from our sisters, away from other women and when it comes to realizing every woman has a story, we fail.
Titus 2 is adamant about the older teaching the younger about women sharing and learning from each other. And there are multiple scriptures about the importance of sharing, learning, growing, edifying, encouraging others in spirit and in truth. Jesus Himself was interested in the stories of those He reached and in the lives of those He changed, when He changed a life He called them by their story. "You were an adulterer now you are free." "You were blind but now you can see." "You have lived with many men but now you know the One True Man." "You were a murder now you are a fisher of men." Even I myself call my athletes by their stories, "You had a sprained ankle, now you can run again." "You tore your ACL, trust the work we have put in and the rehab we have done, you are healed." "You were on the sideline, now you are in the game." It is time we break down the chains of fear, the bondage of personal pride, the lies of the evil one and live in truth. It is time we as women in the church and the greater body of Christ be a living example to the world of love, support, vulnerability, responsibility, faith. It is time we as women of faith stand up to the world to its' lies and defend what scripture says about each of us, defend what scripture says is truth. It is time we search scripture, search the Word for ourselves and not fall into the habit of what the church calls truth and seek out what is truth, we no longer live confined to what the pulpit says as truth. We have Bibles, we have Truth in our grasp, measure what is said by what the Scripture says. It is time we listen to the stories of our own and applaud all stories, applaud all the ways the Father is moving and the lives that are being transformed, from the simple to the amazing. All stories are equal to the Father, all stories were created by Him through Him and for Him. Every woman has a story and the Father is working through His Son and in partnership with His Spirit to complete a good work in each woman and that work is changing growing being tested and tried until her day of completion. And until that day, her story is one to be heard, to be shared. What a call for women to rise up....every woman has a story....even I have a story...
Someone steps up to the microphone, we think "here it goes again another testimony different than mine. How awesome her story, how boring mine." Someone in the corner begins to cry, "guess her story is the same." Another woman walks out of the room, "guess she is dealing with something similar." "Does anyone have the same story as me?" "Am I the only one who doesn't have something to share?" "Does my story really matter?" "Does God think I am boring?" "No one would want to listen to what I have to say." "I want to know the truth, I am seeking the truth too!" "I'm not outspoken, no one will hear me, no one will see me or notice me, I am not known." "I am not with the women's 'in' crowd." How familiar is this scene? How familiar are these thoughts? How heartbreaking are these lies? The truth is, we all at one point have had these thoughts, have had these questions. The truth is we have each fallen prey to the lies of the evil-one in regards to our stories and women. The truth is stories are important. We all have them. We were each given a story, written before time and it...is... important.
As I began my career in athletic training, my mom gave me advice, advice I have never forgotten. She explained, I truly never know what my athletes and students may be going through. I do not know what they go home to at night, and I will not unless I take time to know them. A student may be sleeping through my class because he has to work late and stay up all night protecting his siblings; an athlete may not be healing, no matter how well we rehab, only because I am the only one who sees value in her. My mom advised I must know my athletes' stories. And by knowing their stories, I would reach them in ways many cannot. She encouraged me to not look at a class or team roster and listen to what others say, but find out for myself their story. If this is true of me as an athletic trainer, of me as a medical professional, is this not even more true of me as a woman, a woman of faith, a woman desiring to make a difference for Christ? And if my athletes' stories are important, are the stories of the women in the church, my sisters in Christ, not equally as important?
So why then is one of the most difficult relationships, the relationship between women? Why do we become fearful of sharing among our sisters? Because the world has not helped in fostering this relationship, the world has set standards for women physically emotionally mentally that are impossible to reach. And the world has seeped into the core and heart of the church. The world has created a fear that if we grow to close, we will be hurt. The church has created a fear, by creating segregating programs and unspoken hierarchies, that we have nothing in common. Translating to a fear of being in different places in life thus being rejected. Because of fear, women compare, women are critical, women are cliquey. Through the world and the church, we have been hurt, have been made to feel less, have been attacked, and our relationships have suffered. We as women have fallen to the lies that other women are out to "get us" to ruin us, we have fallen to the lies that having relationships with women will end in drama and pain. How many times have I heard women, even women my age, say they have more friends who are male than female? How sad and how scary. Having professional and personal relationships with males within the context of biblical community and with heart-seeking spiritual discernment are needed. However, outside the relationship one has with their spouse, the deep meaningful truly transparent relationships we need and desire need to be developed through relationships with other women. But fear has driven us away from our sisters, away from other women and when it comes to realizing every woman has a story, we fail.
Titus 2 is adamant about the older teaching the younger about women sharing and learning from each other. And there are multiple scriptures about the importance of sharing, learning, growing, edifying, encouraging others in spirit and in truth. Jesus Himself was interested in the stories of those He reached and in the lives of those He changed, when He changed a life He called them by their story. "You were an adulterer now you are free." "You were blind but now you can see." "You have lived with many men but now you know the One True Man." "You were a murder now you are a fisher of men." Even I myself call my athletes by their stories, "You had a sprained ankle, now you can run again." "You tore your ACL, trust the work we have put in and the rehab we have done, you are healed." "You were on the sideline, now you are in the game." It is time we break down the chains of fear, the bondage of personal pride, the lies of the evil one and live in truth. It is time we as women in the church and the greater body of Christ be a living example to the world of love, support, vulnerability, responsibility, faith. It is time we as women of faith stand up to the world to its' lies and defend what scripture says about each of us, defend what scripture says is truth. It is time we search scripture, search the Word for ourselves and not fall into the habit of what the church calls truth and seek out what is truth, we no longer live confined to what the pulpit says as truth. We have Bibles, we have Truth in our grasp, measure what is said by what the Scripture says. It is time we listen to the stories of our own and applaud all stories, applaud all the ways the Father is moving and the lives that are being transformed, from the simple to the amazing. All stories are equal to the Father, all stories were created by Him through Him and for Him. Every woman has a story and the Father is working through His Son and in partnership with His Spirit to complete a good work in each woman and that work is changing growing being tested and tried until her day of completion. And until that day, her story is one to be heard, to be shared. What a call for women to rise up....every woman has a story....even I have a story...
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