sisterhood

I had the honor of doing ministry along with some incredible powerhouse women in Honduras. We as women on the squad decided to do a bible study with our Honduran sisters up on the mountain. We studied into the 6 chapters of Ephesians. The book of Ephesians explains how the church comes to full spiritual maturity in Christ. I was ecstatic to be going through Ephesians with our friends. Our wonderful team of Beauty for Ashes dedicated a full day to sisterhood. A day full of fun and fellowship with one another. It started out by having breakfast followed by field day. On the soccer field, we gathered together and played relay games. After the fun games were over we had lunch and down time. Later that evening, we made pb and j sandwiches and had a time of worship. We gathered together rain, mud and everything and had a meal together as a family. We prayed and wrote special notes in each and every Bible for them. What a special moment it was seeing the smiles on their faces when we handed out the Bibles. I wanted to share with you the importance of having a community of sisters. To all the women out there this goes out to you:) Sisters from all over the world you are so beautiful. Never let anyone tell you otherwise. 

God made you just the way you are; he knew what he was doing. He designed you, he formed you, he created you with the most skilled hands. He gave you your awesome personality, he gave you your cute smile, your bright eyes, the funny way you giggle, and he gave you your unique abilities and gifts. Your youthful enthusiasm is contagious; your eyes twinkle with wonder and bright hope, and your voice is full of kindness and love. He put all this together and created you. He made you to be an image bearer of Himself, the Creator of the universe.  Yes you are flawed by sin, we all are. You have your bad days, I know. You have also done some not so nice things. Yet within you, God has planted something wonderful: The seed of faith. And he has watered it through the Word and Spirit. You have tasted the grace and love of the Lord Jesus Christ. You are a part of the bride, and that relationship means the world to you. 

You don’t have to keep performing either to the standards you set or the standards that others set before you in order to get value and acceptance. The moment you believe the Good News of what God has done for you in Christ, his perfect performance is given to you as if it belonged to you, and you are given a new status, adopted into his family. Knowing you are loved and accepted in Jesus, you don’t have to perform in order to measure up. The only person whose opinion counts looks at you and says: chosen, holy, precious, treasured possession because of Christ (1 Pet. 2:9). You don’t have to worry about what you look like, what status you have, or what accomplishments you achieve.

As the sun peeks through the clouds, as the world opens wherever you are I want you to know that you are deeply loved today, tomorrow and forever. Today is a beautiful day. A day of celebration of who you are as a woman, of who you are as God’s creation, of who you are as a shining soul sewn together in love. Today is a day that you must slow down and realize that no matter how far you have strayed from God’s love, no matter how many mistakes you have made, no matter how lost or lonely you feel in this moment – you are loved, always loved by our Creator. He still reaches out His hand, hoping that you’ll set aside your fear and your resistance and stubbornness and let Him calm you with His presence. He still stands beside you, hoping that one day you’ll quit trying to control what you simply can’t, and you’ll let Him guide your way.

We celebrate what it means to be women – all our colors and races and beliefs and bodies and brains. We stand together. We laugh and smile and sing. We fight, and keep on fighting for all we still have to accomplish. I want to remind you from your friendly sister in Christ that God is here. He is fighting with you and for you. He is standing at your shoulder, by your side, in front of you, ready to take the first bullet. He is your biggest supporter,  strongest soldier. He is your front line, your go-to, your Father, your Savior. He wants you to know that you are imperfect, and this is okay. He wants you to know that you are a women, and you are strong and powerful, lovely, delicate, a temple and made exactly the way you are for a reason. Our God loves YOU for YOU. 

He’s fighting below the surface. He’s changing hearts and minds in ways we cannot see or comprehend. And even when we feel the most alone, when we feel like no one’s listening and our prayers are simply floating into the sky, He’s there. He’s always there. So my sisters in Christ, please do not lose faith. Do not lose your fight. We have so much work to do for one another, so many battles too face, so many dreams and beliefs to push for. We cannot give up. We cannot believe He has given up on us. We must love one another. We must strive to understand one another. 

We must remember who we are, but more importantly, who our Creator is. And anything we face, any obstacle that stands in the way is never too big for the God we serve. God may be a miracle worker, revealer of mysteries, deliverer, great high priest, and mighty God. He’s also God of peaceful afternoons, of subtle beauty, of all details, of quiet moments, and of little things. God is working in all the things, not just the big momentous things. He has a history of using small things to accomplish big things. 

I grew up with two amazing sisters that I would do absolutely anything for. God knew I needed sisters in my life. He knew I would need them to run barefoot through fields with and make dance videos to show our parents when they got home. God knew I needed sisters to run around the sprinklers with in the hot summer sun. Someone to make forts with in the living room as a kid. God knew I needed sisters to play the floor is lava with. He knew I needed sisters to be silly with. Sisters who could always make my stomach hurt from laughing but also cry. He knew I needed sisters to stretch my heart and grow compassion. To share, learn how to make peace, and to compromise. He knew I needed sisters to fight hard with and learn to forgive even harder. He knew iron sharpens iron and how to make you stronger. He knew I needed another set of eyes to bear witness to all the glorious magic and madness of our childhood. God knew I needed something greater than a best friend. He knew I needed a ready ear who was always willing to listen. Sisters who could tell you the truth even when you didn’t want to hear it, but who always saw the best in you. God knew I needed a mirror that reflected back on my life. Sisters who could recall all my stories. God knew I would need sisters to always watch over me and be my strongest defenders. Sisters who would be my biggest fans. Sisterhood is so beautiful. To grow together in God fearing confidence with each other as one body in Christ. There are times were I struggle with self doubt and I know as my faith in God grows, so does my courage and confidence. The more I cultivate a God confidence, I see more and more through this new lens. A lens filled with forgiveness, admiration and hope.

hope you stick around for a while:))

xoxo racer girl