Agent of Change A Women’s History Month Message

Agent of Change – Background

Over the course of my career, I’ve been blessed to change City-wide policy; influence corporate guidelines; create departmental operating procedures; establish standards through effective supervising; mentor students; teach best practices to colleagues, and train employees. As each of these opportunities came my way, I didn’t see the big picture of what was happening but I was being used as an agent of change!

I am wise enough now to make that boast in God. Sadly, before I had a meaningful relationship with Christ, I boasted of those things as if they were of my doing. They were not. He has had His hand on my life my entire life; I just didn’t realize it.

As I go about each day, trying my best to live a life fully committed to Christ, I believe He is still using me as an agent of change as I seek to serve Him more. The big difference from my younger days to now is that, I am acutely aware that whatever I accomplish is through Him, because of Him, for His people and His glory. I am simply a willing vessel, ready and wanting to be used.

What God is Showing Me

What He is showing me now is that, it is entirely possible for women to support and encourage one another in the spirit of love, with a genuine heart to see our sisters succeed; without hate, jealousy, envy, or strife. He has placed a burning desire deep down in my soul to be my sisters’ helper. God has called me to be an agent of change to help dispel the reputation we have of being clique-ish, catty, territorial, and the like.

The Challenge

As we celebrate Women’s History Month, I challenge every female reader to consider doing the same. Most of us live average lives and will never make it to the front page of a newspaper, grace the cover of a magazine, release a CD, or hold a political office. However, that does not mean we cannot contribute to history!

How often do we turn our heads to avoid making eye contact with one of our sisters? How difficult is it to speak a kind word or a compliment just because? I remember being new on a job and wishing one of the ladies would take me under her wing and help me grow professionally. When we feel the weight of the world bearing down on us, don’t we wish someone was there to help make it a little better? Never underestimate the value of a cup of coffee and a conversation. The cares of the world seem to dissipate as the cup empties and the conversation progresses!

I wish I could tell you how many times a week I text a lady in my circle to give a word of encouragement, or a simple “hello”. Being a true agent of change, however, will require us to look outside of our comfort zone of friends. It may seem strange to compliment a lady you don’t know but I challenge you to do it and watch her reaction. Maybe, you’ve actually had that happen to you. If you have, you can attest to the fact that it was a bright spot in your day. Ladies often look at me, perplexed, when I ask their opinion on a pair of shoes or dress that I’m trying on. It’s very out of the ordinary to offer assistance to people we don’t know, but doing so for one of our sisters is vital.

Summary

We are afraid to talk to one another and that has to stop for the sake of changing our history! I believe that we can make decisions every day to do something for one another that will chip away at the hardness in our hearts that has built up over generations towards other women. Each of us can be someone that another woman will tell her kids about; that person that supported and encouraged her when no one would have expected us to. That’s being an agent of change! Are you up for the challenge?