Miss Barbara
I have a friend named Barbara. She is a co-worker who embodies spunk, grace, and peace. She is a wise owl who sits among us, reminding us why we are here and who we are becoming. She encourages all the young guns to take risks and be brave, even when we are fearful. There have been countless times where Barbara has texted me at all hours of the night words of encouragement, truth, and hope. It always comes at just the right time. That’s Barbara.
In fact, I remember when we were in Uganda, Barbara was up in the wee hours of the morning praying we would gain guardianship of Jericho when things were rocky, and it seemed as though we would come home empty handed. She felt led to get out of bed and pray. Within the hour she reached out to Derek and I in Uganda as we gained guardianship. She was my doula in the most sacred sense. She has been the voice of truth and bravery for me when I could barely hear a whisper of hope.
Yet Barbara has faced the toughest years of her life. She was diagnosed with lupus a few years back and then cancer after that. She had one health problem after another. At her surprise birthday celebration in our office, she shared how she feels like everything that makes her a woman has been taken away, lost, never to be recovered. Her uterus is gone. Her hair fell out from lupus. She feels as though her body has betrayed her. With tears in her eyes she shared how, although only with one son who is grown and out of the house, she is spending the last half of her life loving sons and daughters of the faith. She prays, encourages, prays, and encourages some more. She is not only a woman, but a lovely and graceful woman, both virtuous and capable.
We don’t get to call all the shots in the story of our lives but our reaction, our response, that’s ours for the taking. It’s 100% up to us. Let’s be women of virtue, love, and grace even when crap hits the fan. Let’s understand we are capable even when we are paralyzed with fear. We are women built with strength and courage. I know I, and you, are so much stronger than we think we are. The world needs us to be strong. Our families need us to be strong. We can be. Let’s be. Our strength, our courage, our love, our grace… that’s what makes us a woman.