For Women

In the interest of full disclosure, I want you to know that early in my life I was a rabid feminist. Until I was 16 and God revolutionized my life by showing me that His ways and His thoughts are so very much higher than my ways and my thoughts, I wore a militant attitude for women on my leather studded (just kidding) sleeve.

In the interim, between my teenage self and my understanding of myself as a Christian woman today, I've been reluctant to talk a lot about women's issues. I didn't want to be misunderstood.

Maybe it's because I'm in my 40s or maybe it's because God has been reconstructing my confidence to be soundly in Him, but I feel some sass coming on in what I hope is a good way.

I no longer consider myself a feminist, because I think America's version of feminism has done more to hurt than help women. Don't get me wrong. I'm thankful for the movements that won the vote for me and for women who have sought equal rights for us in education and the workplace. I'm eternally grateful that my husband and I can be partners with different but complementary roles.

But I see some lies that have hurt women. Being sexually "free" isn't freedom at all, and I see women being exploited sexually in ways even more heinous than the past (who are those Victoria's Secrets fashion show for anyway?). I see women exhausted and torn by the pursuit of "having it all" and probably having less in some ways than ever.

Still, American women have been given so much in the way of freedom and respect.

It's easy to forget women around the world.

The 70 million girls and women in Africa who are still suffering the pain and humiliation of female genital mutilation.

The girls in India who die at a 50% higher rate than their male counterparts between the ages of 1-5.

The woman in Jaddah who was sentenced to 10 lashes after driving herself to the hospital in a medical emergency.

The more than 400,000 women raped yearly in the Congo.

As American women, we carry our blessings so lightly. I'm going to be looking for ways to make a difference in women's lives while I'm in India. How can you make a difference for your sisters?