We are nearing the end of the sisterhood series {an edited version of my keynote talk at the Relevant conference}. You can go here to read the previous posts in the series. Last week, I shared about my struggles with comparison, and how comparison steals our unity.
And now, I want to encourage you to be God’s YOU.
And,what if you feel like you work hard and no one notices? You pour out your heart, your time, your life, and you are not seeing the results that you want. You feel like no one sees you.
Well, I want to introduce you to a friend…..
She goes by Tinang Kule, which means simply, “mother of Kule”. Her real name? I don’t know….I have never heard it. It, like her personal identity, has been quieted….never to be spoken again.
Her life is given in total sacrifice to others, even her own name is sacrificed and she is known only as the mother of her first-born. Her day begins early. She starts the fire to begin cooking so that others might eat. It is hot and laborious work.
She smiles and sweats. She is happy that everyone likes her cooking. The satisfied nods of appreciation are enough for her.
She stokes the fire and carries on.
Task runs into task as she continues to cook and clean, care for and nurture. She hears the MAF airplane overhead and she rushes to get a brown paper wrapped package full of fried rice for the pilot….my husband. She is intent on having it there for him when he arrives. Each day she does this, for whichever pilot might land in her village to serve her people.
She rushes down the dirt road with a thermos full of hot tea and the brown paper package.
I am humbled.
She asks me if I have any laundry. I sheepishly say yes. She picks up the bag of filth and we walk to the river. She crouches down and begins to beat the clothes one by one against a rock, a rhythm of beating and twisting and soaking and twisting again. I try to help….the kids bathing nearby in the river giggle as I, the white lady, try to do it right. It is difficult and monotonous.
I whisper to the mother of Kule, “This is so much work…it doesn’t matter, you don’t need to wash our clothes.”
She replies with a big smile, “Oh no, I love to wash clothes.”
And she means it.
Seriously? She loves to wake up early with the only thing to look forward to is serving? Where is her recognition, her moment in the spotlight? Where is her identity?
She doesn’t even have a name to call her own. Tears spring to my eyes. Am I willing to do the same? To go unnoticed? The answer….embarrassingly is no.
NO.
Sure I am willing to sacrifice, to serve my family, to go mostly without recognition. But, there is that little part that wants to be known, to be recognized, to be called by my name.
She smiles and I see Jesus all over her. His is the name that she is known by….it is her identity. He sees her. And it is enough.
It is E-N-O-U-G-H.
He sees you. He is proud of you. He adores you. His praise is the only praise we need. His love fills our need for identity.
Zephaniah 3:17 says, “He will rejoice over you with singing, He will quiet you with His love.”
Do you believe it? Is it enough for you?
Come back next week for the finale of the Sisterhood series.
