Haven’t these past few months been strange? Wasn’t it March just yesterday? Suddenly it’s July and lockdown is gradually easing - in the UK at least; although we still can’t fly to the USA to see our American grandchildren, and some towns have local lockdown.

I’m going through a whole range of emotions these days, as you probably are too. Some days I’m raring to go, others I can barely put one foot in front of another.

CONFESSION - last Saturday I set out for a walk as usual, and after just over a mile, had to phone my husband to come and get me. I just couldn’t walk a step further. Most unlike me. And then in the evenings, I’m too drained to do much, other than watch television.

Again, not like me.

We started lockdown going through The West Wing. Now we’ve moved on to Mrs America, the based-on-real-life story of the 1970’s battle in the USA for the ERA (Equal Rights Amendment) which sought to equalise the rights of American women and men. It’s been an eye-opener to see Patricia Shlafly, Betty Friedan, Gloria Steinem and others almost come to blows over issues that as a woman I take for granted today. Powerful women on either side of the argument try to make their voices heard in a world dominated by men.

It’s got me thinking again about what we can learn from the women in the Bible.

Not new questions by any means. The Bible women are often the lost, the lonely, the least and the unloved. And don’t we still often feel like that - even in our Western world culture?

TWO THINGS TO HELP US, EACH FROM WOMEN IN THE BIBLE:-

First, Lucy Rycroft, Premier’s runner-up Blogger Of The Year 2019, has amazingly written an exclusive for you here:

Why our children need the stories of the women in the Bible

I could think of several places I’d rather be at the tail-end of Freshers’ Week, than sitting in a stuffy hall, listening to a dry presentation from the Student Union.

Bed, for example.

What did they mean, getting us up at this ungodly hour? It was only mid-day, for Pete’s sake.

And then my ears pricked up. “This year,” said the Women’s Officer, “our focus is on encouraging women into the IT industry…”

Well, that did it!

I stiffened. How dare she?? I fumed inwardly. Us women can do whatever we like! The world is our oyster! I can go into IT if I want to - I don’t need a scheme or initiative to make that possible!

I’m a child of the 80s and 90s. That means that, as a girl, I was brought up assuming I could do anything I wanted in life. Why not? There was a woman on the throne, a woman leading the country, and strong women in the music, TV and films that I absorbed.

Feminism was a concept I came across much later in life, because the glass-ceiling of female aspiration hadn’t really affected me in terms of what I’d been able to do. I didn’t realise that, in many cases, there was a fight involved for women to follow their chosen path - like, for example, in the world of IT.

And I realised at this point that the problem was not how girls were brought up. Girls my age were generally brought up with strong feminist values, even if they weren’t labelled as such.

The problem was, rather, how boys were brought up.

Parents drilled into their girls that they could be anything they like - but didn’t bring up their boys to understand the potential consequences of this. Most guys my age, for example, were not raised with the possibility that one day they might be stay-at-home dads, or full-time house-husbands, to allow their Significant Others to ‘be anything they like’.

And in the workplace too, it is usually male attitudes, rather than female ones, which stop talented women from progressing further in their field.

So - what can we do about this?

I wrote a book called Deborah and Jael. Actually, I didn’t write it - God did. He planned and crafted every part of these women’s lives, including a particularly heroic episode recorded in the book of Judges.

But I re-told this ancient story in rhyme, got a fabulous illustrator on board, and took it round every single Christian publisher I could find, absolutely desperate for this story to be more widely shared amongst children.

Because possibly the greatest thing we can do for the young children in our lives is to raise them with an equal respect for men and women. And, as we know, one of the most powerful ways to instil a value or belief in a child is through books.

So - here is my book, Deborah and Jael. It is exciting, it is heroic, it is beautiful to read and to listen to.

I’ve been asked if it’s ‘suitable for boys’. Interesting that no one tends to ask whether the story of Noah is suitable for girls. This shows how far we still need to go in our understanding of Biblical gender equality.

As a mum to three sons and a daughter, I can tell you straight-off that my daughter has no problems with self-belief. But I want to raise my boys, too, to have great respect for the women in their lives, and for what God has equipped them to do for Him. I want my boys to know that sometimes they will need to step aside to let a woman shine - and not simply to cut her off because they ‘can’.

Our children need to hear the stories of the women in the Bible, because they need to see that God has a plan for them and for those around them, irrespective of gender.

It is my hope that this message goes out to children far and wide, and that Deborah and Jael is a small part of the change we desperately need to see.

Lucy blogs at The Hope-Filled Family and is the 2019 Premier runner-up Blogger of the Year and is the author of Redeeming Advent and Deborah and Jael. Join her mailing list for regular news, giveaways and exclusive offers.

Maybe your daughters, granddaughters, nieces, goddaughters - and their brothers - would love a copy of the book? Click on the link below.

And the Second lovely helpful thing, for when you’re feeling lost, lonely, unloved and among the least (and I guess that most of us feel one or more of these at least once a day), do listen to these beautiful words and music about some people in the Bible who felt very lost and alone and unloved - Hagar, Ruth, David, Jesus, Mary Magdalene. I’ve had this on repeat in my ears as I’ve walked this week. It has spoken to me deeply. Persevere through the few seconds of ads at the beginning, it’s so worth it:

THE GOD WHO SEES by Kathy Lee Gifford and Nicole C. Mullen

You can find out more about the short film here: The God Who Sees.

SUMMER SURPRISE BOX SET

for your summer getaway, staycation, holidayathome - whatever you’re doing this summer, here’s a great reading offer for you!

For the third and final box set offer, I've put together a wonderful summer surprise box.

You get 3 randomly-selected new books, several signed by the authors, but you won’t know which 3 until you open your parcel! The total retail value of your set is usually over £25, but you pay only £16.50

Why not order a set to be delivered to a family member or friend with a birthday over the summer as a lovely surprise parcel. We can add a gift card if you email your message to penelope@ministriesbydesign.org when you order.

To order your set - and there are only 5 still available, so do this NOW!

CLICK HERE to go to the order page. You will enter your credit card info, your address info and then the box set will be winging its way to you!

There are also just 4 sets of the Virtual Pilgrimage box set still available so if you're not able to go away right now, why not travel the paths of other pilgrims and read their stories? All from the comfort of your armchair.

CLICK HERE to order either box set - SUMMER SURPRISE or VIRTUAL PILGRIMAGE

If you’ve already got a copy of one of them, why not give the new copy to someone for a birthday or Christmas gift?

If you live outside the UK mainland, please note there is a surcharge for postage.

Do read Lucy’s guest post above if you skimmed down and missed it. Her book is great for any children and grandchildren you know, and I can highly recommend it!

Please let me know what you think about Lucy’s post and about Nicole’s song.

In the meantime, may you know the height, depth and breadth of the love of God as we walk through these strangely different days of summer. I hope you can enjoy some good days - filled with sun and laughter and joy.

- Penelope

There are some affiliate links in this blog post. If you click through to buy one of the books, I earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. Thank you!