Daughters of God

By Ann Marie Eckert

There is a beautiful song called Daughter of God which focuses on women of the Bible. As I was listening to it recently, I realized that I didn't know a lot about some of the women named. Of course, I know Eve, and Sarah, and Mary. But who is Joanna? What is the full story on Esther? These thoughts drove me to a book I purchased a long time ago called Peculiar Treasures: A Biblical Who's Who. And reading the book led me to the Bible. And all of that listening and reading brought me to a place where I began to think about some of the wonderful women I know, or know about. Perhaps you know some women like these.

Peculiar Treasures highlights the laughter that followed God's announcement that Sarah would conceive at ninety. It was not a polite ha-ha, but the tears coming out of the eyes, can't catch my breath sort of laughter that comes when miracles are announced and the unbelievable happens.

The Sarahs of my life: Patty was a Sarah when she got the long-awaited phone call that Matthew had been born into this world and she and Steve could be his adoptive parents. Amy knows how to laugh with the best of them, and it is most often in amazement of the wonderful, crazy, and confusing things (miracles?) that are happening in her life. Rita is one of my favorite people to laugh with because when she is really laughing, there is nothing fake or hidden within her. Laughter brings out her truest light.

Esther courageously fought for her people. When the Jews were threatened by a plot to kill them (born out of prejudice), she came to their rescue.

Esthers I know: I think of people like Coretta Scott King and her willingness to fill her husband's shoes out of deep concern for her people, when disappearing into her grief would have been easier. I think of Dorothy Day, who adopted "the least" as her own, and made their lives easier out of her compassion. I think of my friend Amy, who campaigns for candidates she believes in, and volunteers in a homeless shelter, and gave a year of her life to the Jesuit Volunteers. And I think of my sister Mary Beth and my friend Tom's mom, who fight for the rights of their disabled children, changing hearts and minds in the process.

We hear of Veronica during the Stations of the Cross, how she was so moved by Jesus' suffering that she wiped his face with her veil.

The Veronicas of the world: I think about all the moms I know who have kissed a knee to make it better, and have rushed their children to the doctor (when the kiss just wasn't enough), and who are moved to tears by the pain their children experience at not making the team, or being left out of the crowd, or having their heart broken. And I think, especially today, about all the women (and men) who work with those who are suffering and dying. Many people in my life have died recently, or are ill. They are surrounded by family members, friends, and lots of people who are, ultimately, strangers, and yet who wipe their face, and change their sheets, and care for them in large and small ways.

As a woman, I am drawn to the faithful examples of women who have come before me, and the women that I know today. But within each of the biblical examples, and within each of the lives of all the women I know, there is a whole collection of truth about them, about me:

Sacred, broken, bold, forgiven,
Faithful, fallen, strong, uncertain,
Seeking, striving, reaching,
I am blessed as all women.

I am blessed because I am a daughter of God myself, a sister of Christ. I am blessed by these relationships and by the example of men and women who help me know what it means to be a child of God. As we look at the women in our own lives, may we see the beauty that God has created and the attempt of each of them to live according to the gifts that God has given. For all of them, let us pray:

Creator God, be with the women of this world today, helping them to be the persons you have created them to be. Give them strength, courage, compassion, and humility as they strive to serve you and the world in which they live. Help all people, men and women, boys and girls, to cherish the women in their lives and to grow from those relationships. May we continue to find You, our father and mother, brother and sister, in each other. Amen.

Spirit Compass reflections are developed in partnership
with the Center for Ministry Development.