Yesterday my ego was inflated so that it filled the room and began to pour all over the streets of Grand Rapids. Not in an unhealthy, prideful way, but I heard a word I deeply admire being applied to my person, and that made me feel something. So, yes, I strutted around for a few moments before coming back to reality and walking a lot less like a bro at the gym.
I was called a warrior.
As a girl (Oh yes, I know, here we go, nothing non-debatable can come after the phrase, "As a girl...") no one has ever bothered to call me a warrior. And if you are a girl, I doubt that anyone has told you that you're a warrior. Or if someone happens to tell that you are a warrior, it is immediately followed by "princess" or replaced with a more feminine synonym. You're a "leading lady," a "trooper," a "star." Oh, wait. My favorite..."prayer warrior." (Only women can be those, haven't you heard? We gather in groups to make brownies, pray for our preschoolers to become Harvard scholars, and travel in herds to the bathroom. No. Men need to pray too. For all the thing.)
This, my friend:
Connotes something complete different than this:
(Google "Warrior" vs. Googling "Leading Lady")
And those are pictures very similar to what pop up in my head when I hear either of those terms.
To be called a warrior was simultaneously fantastic and devastating because I did not know if a warrior was something I could actually be, despite hearing it. Am I supposed to be the leading lady who cries and mourns rather than the unnamed and genderless figure ready for war?
I did a little Googling to settle on the definition of "warrior," a person engaged or experienced in warfare, and then I did some Bible-ing to see how that applies to me. As a girl. There, said it again.
There was dear Deborah, whom according to my Bible was a judge, yes, but was also leading Israel (Judges 4:4). (Note: She was not leading the "women of Israel," but the whole dang thing.) I imagine a few battles would come across the leader of a nation.
And a name we pass over often, Junias, Paul's relative who was in prison with him for handling warfare.
Priscilla and Aquila? Starting and running a church has its battles.
I could keep going, but I'll let you do your own digging if you feel so inclined.
The end result was that I decided I am a warrior, and it is very okay to be called that. I can let the word sink into my heart and feel the definition being pumped through every one of my veins. Then I can live it. I can live it in prayer and live it on the streets. I'm a girl, and I'm a warrior. Last night I fought against drugs and prostitution. I am a warrior. Today I took a walk and read a book. I am a warrior. I use a real ninja star as a drink coaster. I am a really cool warrior.
Manila!
I don't have much to say about Manila at the moment.
Endless thanks to those of you who are praying and giving. If I said I could do this without you, you could stop praying and giving to prove me wrong. Thank you. A thousand times, thank you.
Letters have been sent out, but I can still send you one! Or if you know someone who wants to help fight against human trafficking/prostitution, let them know I can send them a letter as well! And I am so, so, so, SO happy to answer questions about what you can be doing in your area to help! Please know that my intentions are not limited, and although I will be in Manila, an enormous part of my heart lies with the sex industry situations in America, and I plan on spending the majority of my future with the battles on the home front. So, please! Don't hesitate to ask anything!
My love to each of you,
Whitney
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