By Ladies, it’s war out there!
We didn’t ask for it, we try to avoid it, but the closer we walk with God the harder the enemy will try to attack us, our marriages, our family, and our ministry. Ladies, God didn’t make us weak, He has shown us examples of strong women throughout the Bible for us to look up to.
Deborah is one of my favorite women in the Bible. She was the original #girlboss, not only was she a wife and judge who held court under the Palm of Deborah (I wish I had a tree named Oak of Tammy) but she was also a prophet and the only female judge that the Bible mentions. I would equate her to today’s modern working woman.
Sisera wasn’t cool guy, he was the commander of the army that had cruelly oppressed the Israelites for twenty years which caused them to cry out to the Lord for help. The Lord spoke to Deborah and told her to tell Barak to gather ten thousand soldiers and that the Lord was going to bring Sisera and his army to the Kishon river and give them into their hands.
Barak agreed but only if Deborah would go with him. What? He was scared to go into battle without Deborah by his side holding his hand? Another example of why she was the original #girlboss.
She agreed but told him that because of this, the honor will not be his and the Lord would deliver Sisera into the hands of a woman. Yes ma’am! The lady’s stepping up and handling the Lords’ business!
Barak rounded up ten thousand men from the two tribes as the Lord instructed. While this was going on, Sisera heard that something was happening and summoned all his men and his nine hundred chariots fitted with iron. Deborah gave Barak the word to go and he led the troops to the river.
During the battle, Sisera got off his chariot and fled on foot while Barak and his men finished off the rest of Sisera’s army. Sisera fled to the camp of Heber the Kenite because the King had an alliance with them. A woman named Jael saw Sisera and told him not to be scared, that he could hide in her tent, and she covered him with a blanket and gave him something to drink, gaining his confidence. He told her to guard the doorway and not tell anyone that he was there. Sisera fell asleep and Jael picked up a tent peg and a hammer while he was asleep and drove the peg through his temple into the ground killing him.
Could you imagine just doing your afternoon chores, such as washing dishes or starting dinner, and the Lord saying ‘hey, pick up that tent spike and take out this oppressive leader.’ I’m sure her husband had some questions when he came back from the field and found a dead army commander on his floor. I can imagine Jael saying, ‘the Lord told me to….’ I bet her husband slept with one eye open that night!
Society has us believing that when you think of the word bravery, the image that comes to mind is someone in the Marines, Special Ops, Police, or Fire/Rescue. Those are true, they do have incredible bravery and courage to do the jobs they do, but this chick was just doing her daily chores and the opportunity came knocking on her door. It would have been much easier to go find someone and have him taken and handed over to Barak and his army, but she didn’t.
Some of the bravest people I know are only five feet tall and sound like a twelve year old on the phone. These mommas are fierce and don’t even know it. Don’t think you are? You are braver than you think. Have you ever been one of the mommas who have stood up to doctors to get the care for their children that they know they need but for some reason the doctors don’t agree?
Often times special needs children are not taken as seriously because ailments are blown off as a behavior, even when you know that something is wrong. Standing up to medical professionals when you don’t have a medical degree but your gut instinct says something isn’t right, takes courage and bravery.
A few years ago, I took my nonverbal daughter to the ER with breathing problems only to be told she only had an upper respiratory infection. They made me feel as if I was overreacting and stupid because they didn’t want to deal with her behaviors or have to sedate her to do the tests. After insisting for the CT scan, they found two blood clots in her lungs and she was transported to a larger hospital. The Lord will lay things on your heart and give you that instinct to know when to stand up and fight for what is right, even if your knees are shaking.
Parents standing up at an IEP (Individualized Education Plan) meeting against a panel of teachers and professionals who don’t see the need for special plans, protocols, or therapies that you do, counts as bravery.
Going to Board of Education meetings and getting kicked out for accusing them of discrimination; standing up for your child when they are bullied or harassed, or not accepting that “boys will be boys” when teen boys harass your daughter… Momma you are child of the King, you are brave and courageous. Don’t ever let someone tell you that you are not.
You can cry afterwards, even throw up if you want to, but when you know you are doing the right thing, plant your feet and know that God has put you here for a reason and he will see you through it.
You can reach out to Tammy at Moppinguptheblessings@gmail.com or find her group on facebook under: Mopping up the Blessings.
Have a Blessed Day!
Tammy Bassett is a speaker and the author of the Mopping Up Your Blessings blog. She was born and raised a country girl who’s roots run deep in the mountains of Appalachia. She has worked a wide variety of jobs ranging from radio to insurance agent. She is now a stay-at-home mom, who along with her husband, are raising five daughters (ages 10 to 25), seven cats and one dog. She uses her accounting and business administration degree to help run her busy household.
She loves spending time with her family and homeschooling her two youngest children. She spends a lot of her day trying to conquer the obstacles in her home. With four of her children still living at home the laundry pile (nicknamed Mt. Wash-more) is her nemesis. Some days she wins and some days she doesn’t, but she always gets up the next day and tries again.
She also loves camping with her family as long as there is a camper with air conditioning, a comfy bed, and indoor plumbing. Her downfall is her obsession with iced coffee. Thankfully the closest Starbucks is an hour from her home, or she would be broke. She also loves reading and learning new skills such as homesteading, being more self-sustainable, gardening and foraging.
She relates the most to her favorite animal, the alpaca. They are both kind of weird and look like they are two months past due on a haircut. Much like alpacas she makes a gentle humming noise when happy and if irritated she often stamps the ground with her feet. Her husband has refused to buy her an alpaca much to her disappointment.
But more than anything, she loves the Lord and is growing more in her faith each day and hopes to inspire others to do the same. She wants everyone to understand that God’s grace is truly amazing and has changed her from the inside out and he can do the same for you.
by leaps and bounds 