Lately, my heart has been burdened for girls and women who are victims of gender inequality. I'm not just talking about women not earning as much as men, or that we have a gender neutral Bible or even that we need to burn bras to make a statement.
The issues that my heart is breaking for are for the women in third world countries. These women are infants or even in the womb, are treated as much less than equals. In the worst or sometimes best of circumstances, many girls and women find themselves as modern slaves, and most of them in the sex trade.
For many years, I have known this, yet turned my eyes away. If I couldn't see it anymore, it didn't exist in my world. Yes, I did feel bad and wondered if there were things to be done about it. But someone else was taking care of such injustice, surely.
Because this is the injustice that God spoke about. To care for widows and orphans in their distress. Jesus commanded us to do this, but what have I done to obey? Sent caring thoughts and sometimes money and then conveniently forgot.
But now, I am looking this injustice in the face and beginning to see it. It is horrible, but there is hope.
When I was reading the book, "Half the Sky," there were statistics about the Asian countries and the girls who were slaves. It suddenly hit me - that could have been me. I was an orphan in an Asian country. Were some of these women my sisters, my cousins, my aunts, and now my nieces? Was I born and taken away for such a time as this - to help them in their distress?
I don't know the answers to these questions. But I lay the burden of this at Jesus' feet. And perhaps he can show me what can be done, because I AM SURE and willing to help. My burden has become a promise.
The issues that my heart is breaking for are for the women in third world countries. These women are infants or even in the womb, are treated as much less than equals. In the worst or sometimes best of circumstances, many girls and women find themselves as modern slaves, and most of them in the sex trade.
For many years, I have known this, yet turned my eyes away. If I couldn't see it anymore, it didn't exist in my world. Yes, I did feel bad and wondered if there were things to be done about it. But someone else was taking care of such injustice, surely.
Because this is the injustice that God spoke about. To care for widows and orphans in their distress. Jesus commanded us to do this, but what have I done to obey? Sent caring thoughts and sometimes money and then conveniently forgot.
But now, I am looking this injustice in the face and beginning to see it. It is horrible, but there is hope.
When I was reading the book, "Half the Sky," there were statistics about the Asian countries and the girls who were slaves. It suddenly hit me - that could have been me. I was an orphan in an Asian country. Were some of these women my sisters, my cousins, my aunts, and now my nieces? Was I born and taken away for such a time as this - to help them in their distress?
I don't know the answers to these questions. But I lay the burden of this at Jesus' feet. And perhaps he can show me what can be done, because I AM SURE and willing to help. My burden has become a promise.
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