For you, journey village woman, a blessing.
You have been told all your life that the highest call for your life was to be ‘good’
To fit neatly in the plans of those who surround you. To not disrupt anything. And to do all of this with a smile on your face.
And there is nothing inherently bad with being good; it would be great for more of us in the world today to be good and to do good. This blessing today comes to you to expand the understanding we hold of good. That yes, you will continuously strive to be good and that your voice also counts for what that goodness is.
And yes, this blessing is to say that to be a woman today, with all its complexities and nuances, is still a Blessed thing.
So here is a blessing for you who is striving to be good enough, as a mother, a girlfriend, a wife, a sister, a brother, a loved one; you who wonders whether you are good enough;
Blessed are you in your wondering, for yours is a God who looked hard at all he had created and decided it was not complete without you. You are needed and necessary, and that is Good.
Blessed are you when your softness and tenderness continuously seems like a liability, in a world that rewards aggression and forcing our way through life, for you embody God’s own humility and tenderness and are a beautiful picture of who our God is, and that is good
Blessed are you when you struggle to find a sense of worth in who you are for you are of infinite worth to your creator, you are deeply cherished and worthy and that is good.
Blessed are you when you try to speak but your voice falters; may you be reminded how much power you hold in your voice, for yours is a God who hears and acknowledges your voice, it matters, and it is good.
Blessed are you who provides counsel in the middle of uncertainty, you who assures your loved ones that it will be alright, the world is deeply in need of your voice; for yours is an infinitely wise God from whom you can draw your own wisdom; and that is good
Blessed are you who is a beacon of light, spreading kindness, love and compassion everywhere you go,how blessed you are, for this is the Gospel of Jesus and it is Good
Blessed are you who advocates for justice and fairness in service of positive change in our household and community, for yours is a God whose heart breaks for injustice and He hears the cries of those who desire justice, the work you do, however small you feel it is very necessary, and good
Blessed are you who thinks about that one or two times you were not as good as you hope to be, it haunts you doesn’t it? Yet even who you are in those less than perfect moments is seen and known and loved by your creator, and that is good.
Blessed are you deep in the complexities of leading in these times. You move different because you are different, you who lead with integrity, authenticity and grace, You who doesn’t settle for the easy way out, you who shines a light on how we can be better as a community and society,
How blessed you are, your leadership comes from God and it is good and needed
Blessed are you whose weariness had become a blanket of identity, who seeks to earn belonging by tiring yourself out being and doing everything for everyone, walk into the rest and ease of God’s goodness. You have always been enough, are enough and will always be enough; and that is good
Blessed are you who inhabits a body so broken by judgment and opinions from yourself and others, your body is a sacred place where you are carried as you navigate the gift that is life, today, may you receive receive the blessing of being able to look in the mirror and thank her for being such a wonderful vessel to move through life in, your body is good.
Blessed are you who carries the blame and shame from relationships that haven’t worked out as well as they could have, and you wonder whether there was more for you to do, for yours is a God who restores and reconciles all things to Himself in His time; and good news that is.
Blessed are you who is healing from abuse, you who has been victim to those made cruel by the darkness in this world, you did not deserve any of it; you are deserving of tenderness and kindness and forgiveness and love and mercy; and our God is steeped in the work of healing and restoring you, you are good.
Blessed are you when it is challenging to be a woman. When it is confusing to be you, how blessed you are, when it is overwhelming how blessed you are, when it is restful how blessed you are
When it is joyous, how blessed you are
In all and through all, how Blessed and good you are. You have been called and named, your contributions matter and are not small at all, your voice matters and is necessary, your wisdom matters and is necessary.
You are needed and how blessed we are here at the village to have you.
Enter into the blessing of belonging in the kingdom of God. It is your inheritance. The kingdom of God belongs to those such as you.