I am not a feminist. Let me start there. But, I am for women. I am for women understanding their value, stepping into their passions and gifts, and finding the platform to which the Lord has called them to use those very passions and gifts to bring Him glory. I am for women understanding they are capable, qualified, and vital to seeing the kingdom of God advanced on this earth. I am for women seeing themselves as the Father sees them and knows them - daughters of the King, carriers of His kingdom, filled with His Spirit - women with a voice, with dreams, with a calling and divine purpose to be unleashed and lived out. I am for women.
I am not only for women. I carry within me a heart, a spirit, and a passion for all people - regardless of gender, race, religion, family background, social status, etc., to understand their most basic need...value. It's at the heart of every human. We all long to know we are valued. We long to know we have worth and purpose. Where we find that value, however, determines the course of our life. When we find our value in others, in our work, in our finances, etc., those things can all cease to exist... and with it, our value is easily diminished. So I am for people finding their value in Christ - understanding who and whose they are... knowing they are valued, they bring value, and have been designed to call out the value they see in others - all for the glory of our King!
So I am for each person coming to grasp with this reality. I am for seeing every person, young and old, man and woman, empowered into the place the Lord has passioned and equipped them to be.
Years ago the Lord began to break my heart for women - for them knowing their value, understanding what they carry, and being empowered into a place where they can bravely live out their divine purpose. Being a woman myself, it makes sense that my heart is for and my greatest platform is with women. That is not to say I don't believe I am capable of empowering men, of teaching men, of having a platform to speak into their lives - but I know the Lord has called me to pour into, to disciple, to multiply a generation of women who will live brave, dream bravely, influence bravery. So there you have some background behind these thoughts.
Sitting in a small one room house back in 2009, I came face to face with what I saw as hopelessness. I had seen glimpses of it in other places but this time was different. This time my spirit was ready to wrestle with what my eyes saw. I was in Kenya on a short-term mission trip with my home church. During one of the mornings, we took time out to hop into a couple matatus and drive 16km down the road to a small but growing town called Salgaa. In Kenya, Salgaa is known as one of many "prostitution towns." That's how it was introduced to me that day. The pastor of the local church had begun weekly going to this town to build relationships with those who resided there, to befriend them like so few had, and simply show them the love of the Father. And on this particular day, we joined him on that journey - heading to a town we knew very little about to love on people who felt very "little". Sitting in this one room house, I came face to face with a young woman completely burdened by shame and desperation. She was making tough choices to survive, to provide food for her kids to eat and those decisions had completely broken her. Yet this was her reality. But worse than that, if that's possible, what I saw that day was a woman who not only felt hopeless but who believed she truly was a hopeless mess - that she didn't carry any value. And God broke me for her.
It would be nearly two years later that I would find myself back in that small town of Salgaa, this time calling Kenya my home as I had decided to go and live there for a year to volunteer at a transitional children's home my church was partnered with. But my heart was not only to volunteer at this home but to also get back to Salgaa, to these women, and continue this journey the Lord began stirring in me just years before. Weekly I would visit the homes of various women in Salgaa, weekly I would hear stories of desperation, of hopelessness and of heartbreak. Weekly I would intentionally seek out opportunities to make eye contact, to share a hug, to offer a smile, to share a story or encouragement, to lend a listening ear, to laugh and cry alongside these women. Why? I wanted them to know something... I wanted them to know they mattered - that someone saw them, knew them, cared for them, loved them. But the thing is, I didn't want them to know that from only me... I wanted them to know that I was just the messenger, letting them in on how their Father feels about them, sees them, cares for them. Value. They were His valued daughters - His children in whom He took great pride.
That, friends, is where this heart comes from... this heart to empower women, to help them see and know their value. It's a heart that longs for them to know they are valued, they carry value and bring value to the kingdom, and they are also called to call out the value in others. I want them to know that. Because I have been fortunate enough to know that. And when you know your value, you fight to keep it. When you know what you carry matters and who you are matters, you won't quickly bow down to shame or fear or doubt or lies. Because you know who you are and more importantly, whose you are. And that is a POWERFUL thing.
So yes, I am for women. I am for seeing them empowered into places and positions where they know and walk in confidence in who they are and what they carry. I am for women with powerful voices being unleashed to share with the world, "My daddy is the King of heaven and His Spirit is alive in me!" I am for women who will lead and teach and train and carry kingdom to every corner of the earth. I am for women having a platform to take the gifts and passions and dreams the Father has given them and unleashing those on this world all for His glory!
This is why I do what I do.
This is why I carry a heart to empower.
This is why I long for others to Live Brave. Dream Bravely. Influence Bravery. To Be Braverly.
2 comments:
Hi Kristy I love your passion. To me you actually seem like a very strong feminist, but here's the thing ppl forget...everyone's definition of feminisim is different, so it comes down to you and what you believe. Regardless of that, labels are just that, labels. I love that you have a heart for women and do what you can to help them. Thank you. It's always encouraging to work alongside someone like you!
Mesh
Mesh, it's true... everyone's definition of feminism is different. And yes at the end of the day, I just believe deeply in women. :)
Also love what you ladies are doing and that we get to work alongside you too! It's a blessing and encouragement in so many ways! You are some strong women with incredible passions and powerful voices! Love how the Lord is using you!
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