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UNDAUNTED
For a few very hard years this word was my mantra.
The word means
-undismayed; not discouraged; not forced to abandon purpose or effort
-undiminished in courage or valor; not giving way to fear
But the truth is, I was often dismayed by everything that had taken place, and I did battle discouragement. I battled fear and doubts. I hurt and was angry, and sometimes "undaunted" sounded more like a mockery than a mantra, and I was determined to be real about all of it in these posts, thus the name, Undaunted Reality. More than that, though, I was determined to live undaunted, not because I'm so great or strong, but because my God is, and no matter what this world looks like, He is the only reality that matters.
I pray I live the reality of Him beautifully undaunted.

Sunday, March 15, 2015

The Unholy War on Women...and Men

A friend of mine on Facebook shared an article about a famous woman dressed in a bustier and skirt made of pinkish latex. The general consensus in that comments was that this was a bad idea. One man, however, did not find it enough to simply express his disapproval. Instead, he blended her family's name with an incredibly foul word in such as a way as to suggest this is the defining aspect of these women.

I expressed my offense at his word choice and assured him there are other words to express one's disapproval than that. In my opinion, his comment was a full-frontal assault against women. Not just that woman, but all women, and that is not okay.

I see women on a regular basis whose husbands, boyfriends, fathers, and even sons beat on them physically and mentally. They call them all kinds of names that rip at their self-value, courage to do great things, and belief that they are made for a glorious purpose. I see how words hit just as hard as a fist, and I see how enough small hits with a hammer can split a boulder wide open as easily as one blast of TNT. That man's comment was a verbal hit with a pretty big hammer, and I refuse to stand by and let men unleash on women, whether the hits are big or small, fist or word.

Because women deserve better.

Women deserve to be valued. They deserve to be encouraged. They deserve to be seen as gifts. They deserve words that give them boldness to believe in their purpose and to live big.

And so do men.

No. Men aren't the victims of physical violence as often as women, but I know women who can beat the masculinity out of a man with their mouth as effectively as a man can beat a woman black and blue with his fist. Both are equally as wrong.

And I really wish I could say the battle is across gender lines, but it isn't. I seen the women wage war against women, and I see men wage war against men, and I wonder while we are tearing down the gifts of God how much of the provided answers to problems we keep praying for and wondering why no answer comes are being destroyed one devaluing comment and one hateful action at a time.

I'm afraid the real answer should terrify us.

Terrify me.

So I ask, not really sure I want to know, but fully knowing I need to know:

Lord,
How do I wage war against the gifts you've breathed life into?
How do I tear them down with...
...my attitudes,
...what I do that tells them they are unimportant,
...what I don't do to remind them how important they are,
...what I say that tears at their courage,
...what I don't say to encourage them to live boldly?

Dear God, show me where I am part of the problem and change my heart and mind so I am part of the answer. Amen

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