Captivated!

6.22.16
Only ten more days until I am able to step out from behind the scenes and have my very own girls at camp! I have been praying a lot about what message I will share in my short time with my girls. The right topic has eluded me until last night when my friend, Savannah, handed me inspiration in the form of a book: Captivating. 

The best way for me to describe Captivating is that it is a devotional for a woman's heart. This book does not give you the ten rules you should follow to be a woman of God or describe all the things you are doing wrong in your life. Instead this book illustrates how a woman's heart is the reflection of a God. 

On a personal level, this book speaks directly to my heart. It is, in parts,validating and reassuring, while, at the same time, challenging me to be the best that I can be in my life. It is not profound because of its eloquence or brilliance. The book merely captures what it means to be a woman and how a woman can reflect the essence of God.

Reading this book in Zambia gives me a sort of purpose and I could not ask for a better book to read before my week of camp. The nerves have been setting in as my week approaches. I know my girls will show me love me no matter what, but I want to profoundly impact their life in a very short time. I just have no idea how to do that!

As I was reading last night, the topic of self-worth was heavy on my heart and plentiful in the pages. In a culture where men are valued over women and abuse is common, self-worth is not a topic discussed here in Zambia. Being physically attractive is more of a curse than a blessing as it can attract unwanted attention. Being intelligent is not appreciated as women are not heard. Instead of being told of the heavenly power they reflect on their hearts, these precious jewels are depreciated by the society around them. Captivating showed me that a worthy message to these girls did not have to be profound. It just needed to be heard.

In the Creation Story, Eve is the final gift from God. The final touch needed to complete His masterpiece. I always thought of Eve as more of an after thought or a necessary addition for reproduction. Not the missing piece to a glorious puzzle. If I, someone who has been taught self-worth and value my whole life, did not recognize the importance of Eve, then how could the girls here? Adam was created to be active, a reflection strength and power. However, God needed to reveal more of himself. He reveals His beauty and gentleness in women. 1 Corinthians 11:17 says "women is the glory of men" one is not better than the other. Together they compliment each other. Without each other, they are weak. 

A woman's fear of abandonment strikes deep in the hearts of women. That fear was put there by God. The fear of abandonment, a curse placed after the crime in the Garden of Eden, was a necessary evil. Meant to not punish, but to bring us back to the open arms of God. Through abandonment, He shows us that without Him we are incomplete. My girls can overcome the paralyzing pain of abandonment by running straight into the arms of God. We have fathers or other figures to comfort us. They only have Him. 

Regardless of demographics, many women have had their hearts assaulted. It can happen through verbal, physical or emotional abuse. This assault should band us together. The soul of the woman is designed specifically to be different from the soul of the man. In Matthew 6:26, Jesus asks "are you not more valuable" than the birds of the air? Women were not an afterthought or necessity. They are the crowning piece to the most magnificent work of art. My girls are the crowning piece to Zambia.



Gentle Readers:
I wanted to take a moment to take a moment to thank everyone who has been following my summer journey through this blog. A few people have reached out to me about my blog and just knowing that it is being read has made my day every time. 

I have loved using my blog to share my experiences and thoughts so much that I have been brainstorming ways to transform Miles Away into a year round blog. The first change when I return home and am no longer confined by small amounts of data usage will be the name. I have settled on the name  The Intemporal. Some of you may have received a follow request from an Instagram account with the username @theintemporal. I have been capturing so many unbelievable photos over this trip with no good outlet to share them. This account was created to share my experiences and will be linked to my blog. Apologies if I did not follow you. I was most likely nervous about the amount of data I was using. Please take the time to check out @theintemporal on Instagram!

I am really excited to transition Miles Away into a year round journey. I hope that you stick with me as I figure things out and change things up!