Reflections on Lent: Not your typical story

TED Blog: Leymah Gbowee

In 2004, working on women’s rights, she was asked to take a 9-year-old, who had been raped every day by paternal grandfather for months. And she did. Every day the child lay beside her, saying, “I wish to be well, I wish to go to school.”

Several years ago, she decided that there needed to be a way to bridge the gap between generations. She created the Young Girls Transformative Project. “All we did was create the space. When you create commitment, you unlock, intelligence, passion, commitment, focus, great leaders.” And many of those women are taking bold steps to advocate for the rights of other young women. One, who had dropped out of school, and gave her extra money to young women to go to school said, ”My wish is to be educated. If I can’t be educated, if I see my sisters going, my wish is fulfilled.”

Six years ago, there was a woman, a single mother whose son wished for a piece of doner, who had wished for herself to be educated. She had failed to protect two girls. She failed, she failed, she failed. She got angry.

She faced down a brutal dictator and won. Got educated and other things happened. “And not only did the wish of a piece of doner come true, the wish of peace came true.”

That woman was Leymah Gbowee.

Is that the story of your mom's life? Not mine (though my mother is no less of an amazing woman of God for it.) Leymah didn't live a life as normal, did she? By our standards or her country's. But then again...

NEITHER DID CHRIST

He came into this world not to save it through authoritative rule though He had that power and authority but rather as a baby. He didn't make friends with the high powers but with those most looked down upon. He taught leaders to be servants and then took it a step farther to commission them as friends.

So what is normal?

What is the "correct" pattern to life?

What is the guide to finding "the way"?

What do you seek to emulate - Christ or "normal"?