THE CONFIDENT WOMAN

Sorry.. I am a little behind in posting right now. Life got busy! This post has been brewing since Women's Day.... way back before March Break! My son got sick and then everyone was home and we got busy hanging out and doing life! We also got a little time to spend with my parents which was SO good! 

But  time has just gotten away from me so I just want to apologize and thank you all personally because I can see you actually were on here looking for a post! Thanks for the support. You guys are awesome!

I couldn't think about what picture to post here. I looked it up and wasn't enamored. If  you look up confident woman... pictures actually come up. Arms crossed, Busy. Looking all business.  Is that what you picture in your mind?

It's not just on International Women's Day but really all year through--that I really feel thankful to be a woman where I live. I'm so blessed to have the rights and privileges I have. I am thankful for the amazing women who blazed a trail before us and did things that spoke freedom to allow the brilliant minds and brave hearts of women to be truly known. My heart breaks for the women who face hurt and abuse and are mistreated.

Just before March Break I had the amazing privilege of talking with a dear little sister friend who I hadn't seen in years. It was blessed time hearing about what God was doing in her life. She just recently got baptized! WOO HOO. She is on FIRE. And you know what else... she is passionate about breaking the boundaries over women. She avidly calls herself a feminist. Some of you may get upset hearing that I know. But the truth is she ISN'T about hating men or about bashing men. She speaks HIGHLY of men she knows. But she IS passionate about all about women being able to shine, about speaking up for those who don't have a voice. About making things equal and allowing the lives of our daughters to change and impact the world and be known and seen. Don't you love that she feels called to do that? 

But I've been thinking in two directions at once and concluding some weird things right now when I've been hashing around the idea of confidence as WELL as equality.

Those women who blazed the trail before us-- they were confident that they were working toward greater good for women. They were confident that they wanted the future to see more women given opportunities and respect. And I am confident that I AM glad they did that. I am confident that Jesus knocked things upside down when he showed respect and honor to ALL women and when he stated that in Christ there is no man/ women distinction. And I am confident that oppression is NOT from the kingdom of heaven in any way shape or form.

But here's the clincher.. I am also wondering if the women or rather people who ARE in difficult and dire circumstances could still have "confidence"? IS confidence pictured by that arm crossed, business suit lady? Is that what we are going to look like if we are confident? 

Those women IN those circumstances that changed our lives as women... they were blazing a trail.  They WERE confident. BUT things WEREN'T EQUAL. 

I've also seen it where women in horrible and WRONGFUl situations still BOLDLY move in a streak of CONFIDENCE-- rescuing themselves or rescuing others and bringing them to safety. 

So I've been thinking it through. It ISN'T right in any way when things AREN'T right. But in those situations is there any chance for us to to be CONFIDENT?

The OTHER clincher is... IN those circumstances IF we don't act in confidence there's going to be negative impact on our life and others!

I have watched my kids grow in confidence. I've watched them gain their voice, walk in freedom, be courageous. I know they bloomed because we loved them and we spoke power and truth over them.

BUT despite that I've watched them sometimes have moments where their confidence slips.

Don't we all??  Even that business suit woman with arms crossed? Don't we all have moments when confidence slips?

My dear little sister friend that I got to chat with..she is outspoken and honest and raw. She's been using her voice for some time and is mostly undaunted by those who criticize her without fairness. BUT... I have her permission to say this. In our super transparent conversation I could see a moment where EVEN HER confidence slipped. CRAZY eh?

What about some of my other friends.... who are some of the most confident people I know? Does their confidence slip?  MINE does. And I've watched theirs.  I think if we are honest all of ours do. 

So what do you do when you are in a situation that ISN'T RIGHT or FAIR? When that confidence is slipping and yet it is essential because without pressing on and in we may never manifest that change that is needed. What do we do?

Do we give up? Do we shrink?

OR Do we RISE up?

Too often I know I shrink.  I wanted to HIGH TAIL IT and run. It's fight or flight I guess.

I've been thinking about what to do when we DON'T FEEL CONFIDENT. When CIRCUMSTANCES shake our socks and in them no arm crossing and power suit wearing will change it.

Because I don't believe at all that confidence is formed there.

I am confident that there are other places this confident resilience is formed-- a confidence that carries on and through difficult situations and presses on.

I see women of faith and women without faith who remain confident even under those circumstances. I'd love to hear from you before I share my own thoughts! Please write in! Let's start a conversation here.

I'll post my 5 conclusions about confidence  RIGHT after Easter this weekend.

Love ya! Thankful to be journeying with you!

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