Used For His Glory

Used For His Glory

If we lined up all the men who 'achieved' something
Who 'created' something
Who 'started' something
And we looked at their records - not of achievement
Nor of what they're credited with creating
But of the women in their lives
Wife Mistress Daughter Assistant Housekeeper Servant
(or perhaps, more correctly: property property property property property property)

Women who were
unacknowledged for the work they did
dismissed in the ideas they had
beaten for infractions
enslaved for the colour of their skin
raped for having an orifice
impregnated for having a womb
divorced for convenience
Along with all the other sufferings as they were used for his glory

Could we count the men of achievement who treated women like they were humans...
Would it take all our fingers and toes? Or just one hand? Just one hand...and not use all the fingers?

More telling perhaps:
Would we excuse their sins?

As though the use of another human being like they're a thing can be passed over when 'achievement' is made?
As though the broken flesh of women who were never named, never claimed is an acceptable cruelty in exchange for 'greatness'
As though being 'man enough to do the job' is the sewn skins that will hide a shame
That dates back to Adam giving his wife a name
(like she was one of the the animals)

If we lined up all the women who were forgotten would their cries matter to us?
Does their suffering count? Or would we say 'yes'
even as we wagged our heads in disapproval of her choices?

Yet the slave-woman named Him the God who sees
who sees her pain
and grieves
and comforts
and honours

The daughters of Zelophelad claimed their portion from the Lord
before all the people
before history
before the rights of husbands not-yet-chosen

A woman of valour was lionised in scripture
For business acumen
For compassion on the hopeless
For responsibility to her own

God took women and made them evangelists
sent from the well
sent from the tomb
sent across the empire

Even if not at first believed, even if not acknowledged, even if denied the title the name the dignity
Women have always been entrusted with the Empire of the LORD
They pondered these things in their hearts
knelt as a student at a teacher's feet
wept as a mourner before He Who Sees

Their presence in the scriptures
Even a little bit
Even for a moment
Just a mention
Not forgotten, tossed aside, left behind, ignored.

But remembered for
magnification
perfume
faith
healing
forgiveness
discipleship
witness
and participants in the joy that comes of being used for His glory.