Women may think there’s no reason to celebrate this month. You may be involved in an abusive relationship. You may feel completely alienated from your body and even ask yourself: Why was I born a woman? Why has my body become a weapon of attack? Why have I been touched inappropriately, indigestibly? Why? Where are the reasons to celebrate being a woman? Maybe you even hate the colour of your skin, your hair, your body… maybe you hate being who you are, and it gets worse when you remember you’re a woman.
No one is here to invalidate your issues, or make you think your story isn’t worth telling. No! That is not what I aim to do.
What I want is to encourage you to take a break, a break from the lies you’ve been told, the time you have been reduced to. What I want here is to tell a story, a story that changed my life and the lives of so many others.
Long ago, there was a woman who felt marginalized by society. Her loneliness was destroying her. She had no friends, no loyal partners. She was just a body, her soul wounded, and she had no prospects. But one day, she had an encounter—an encounter that would change her life.
A man questioned her. He made her reflect on why she was so alone. He made her realize she had value, a value that He would soon pay with the price of blood. By allowing herself to converse with this man, perhaps for hours (we do not know how long), until He convinced her that she needed to experience the life that only He could provide, this woman not only had her life transformed, but her identity restored.
She discovered that long ago she had been created by a God, the creator of heaven and earth. She realized her worth exceeded that of many rubies. She felt loved. She realized she was not just a body, she was not just a servant. She was a daughter, a sister, and a friend. After that day at the well, her life changed.
Maybe you can have your story redefined by this same man today. Jesus. Maybe you have the same questions that woman had. The best part is that He continues to be the answer. So I want to encourage you to be a woman, to celebrate this fact: you were created in the image and likeness of a perfect God.
Celebrate today. Celebrate every day. Happy Women’s Month!!