Episode Transcript
[00:00:00] Sam foreign.
[00:00:36] Hello, and welcome to the Second Row Conversations podcast. I'm Letitia, also known as Lady P. And I'm glad that you decided to join me again today.
[00:00:46] I hope all is well. We are at the end of March. It time is flying, as I said last week, time is really going fast. And so I hope life has been treating you well, that you are achieving your goals that you set back in January when we talked about our goal setting and how to stay on track. I hope you are reaching those goals. I can tell you that I have really worked on mine and there's some things that I have accomplished, and I'm really excited. So I hope you're doing the same thing as well.
[00:01:16] So we are at the end of March, like I said, and March is Women's History History Month. And I couldn't end the month without talking about all of the great things that women have done, the things that they've contributed, ways that they've contributed, contributed to the society and to make the world better. And I wanted to do that today. So we're gonna talk a little bit about that.
[00:01:40] I hope you have your pencil or your pen and your notebook ready, like I say every time, and your tea or your coffee or your water, whatever it is that you have, I hope you have it with you so that you can take notes on today. Okay?
[00:01:53] So like I said, we're going to honor Women's History Month every year in March. That's what that time is set aside so that we can acknowledge, like I said, acknowledge what women have done in society to make the world better. But today, we're going to go a little deeper. I want to touch some women that are that made very much.
[00:02:17] They made sacrifices, but because of their sacrifices, lives changed for the better. So I want to touch some people, some women that were in the Bible, and then I want to touch some women from society that also made very much, very big contributions to life to make it better, not just for them, but for those that they came in contact with. So I have some notes today because I had to write down, I had to type out some notes so. So that I can remember everything. So I hope you enjoy this episode. I really do. I hope you enjoy this episode. And with that being said, I want to thank everyone who reached out to me about last week's the battle of the mind. That really resonated with a lot of people. And I hope that you are fighting every day. I hope that you are winning that battle and remembering that the capital T truth is what means what matters the most? Not our feelings, not our. Not what the enemy tries to bring to us, but that capital T, truth. If you didn't watch it or didn't listen to it, go back. Go back and catch it. Okay. All right. And so I want us to make this, like, a conversation. Even though I'm on this side and you on that side, I want it to be conversational style so that you can get the information and let it kind of sit.
[00:03:37] Sit with you and see how it.
[00:03:41] How it can resonate with you, what your life looks like and what you can do to make a difference. Okay? All right. So like I said, I want to start with women in the Bible because, like, I know one thing about God. He doesn't. He doesn't want perfect people. He wants people that are willing and obedient. And that's what these women were. They were obedient and. And they were willing to do what it needed, what needed to be done in order to make life better and to. To do what God told them what to do. Okay, so those are things that I want you to remember. That's what is important. He doesn't want perfect people. He wants willing people. All right, so the first person I want to talk about today is Esther.
[00:04:25] So who was Esther? Esther was a Jewish queen in the Persian Empire during a time when her people failed genocide. So I'm not going to give you too much background, but I want you to go and do your own research. But she was a Jewish queen. She was. She didn't start off as a queen, but she was prepared.
[00:04:45] And her people were facing all type of, like I said, genocide. They had a lot of things going on, and the king didn't realize it was her people because they never had that conversation. But when she realized what her people were facing, then she knew she needed to do something.
[00:05:07] She didn't ask for the position she was in. She was placed there. And like I said, go, don't go do your reading. Kind of go check it out. In Esther, she was placed there, and there were people in leadership roles that were trying to destroy her people.
[00:05:25] But when she found out about it, she said she knew she needed to do something. And one statement that she made that is always related to Esther is, I'm going to go talk to the king, and if I perish, let me perish. If I perish, I perish. That's what she said. If I perish, I perish.
[00:05:45] And I think sometimes people read that and they move on because, um, to some people that just Is a. Is a just regular statement like, okay, she said, if I perish, let me perish, not realizing what all that was at stake, that because of the way the culture was set up, that she could not just go talk to the king.
[00:06:07] He had an order in place that no one can just come talk to him. But she knew she needed to get to him. And so that was why she said that statement. If I perish, I perish, but I'm going to go and talk to him.
[00:06:21] And that's the kind of faith that says, God, I trust you, that even if I lose something, even if I lose my life, I am going to go do what is right, because I have to do what's right.
[00:06:34] So think about it. Has there ever been a moment in your life where you had to speak up knowing that it may cost you everything to do? So?
[00:06:45] I know for me, there have been moments where I had to do that. But I knew what God was telling me. I knew what my morals were and what my morals are, and I had to stand up for what was right. And that's what Esther wanted to do.
[00:07:01] That's an Esther type faith. That's what I type. That's Esther type faith, knowing that I got to stand up and I got to do what's right, regardless of what may.
[00:07:11] What it may cost me. Okay, and so what's the takeaway from Esther? Courage doesn't always roar. It's not always loud. It sometimes whispers.
[00:07:23] Sometimes it whispers. And so that is the takeaway from Esther. You don't always have to be loud to do what's right. You don't always have to be loud to be courageous. Sometimes it's just quietly saying, if it cost me something, I'm still going to do what is right. Okay, so that's Esther. All right, let's talk about the Samaritan woman.
[00:07:46] And first, let me give you a little bit background. So she's also known as the woman at the well. So she was at the well, she was going to get some water in the heat of the day because she didn't want to go during a time where there would be a lot of people.
[00:08:07] So she was going during the time where she knew a lot of people wouldn't be there, not realizing that she was about to have an encounter that was going to change her life.
[00:08:16] She had a past. She had a past.
[00:08:20] And just like all of us, we all have a past, and it was a past that everyone knew. Right. So it wasn't a past where only a few people knew or Only she and Jesus knew, or she and God knew.
[00:08:35] It was one that the whole town knew about, right? Not just her little friends or her community or it was the entire town. Everybody knew about her past.
[00:08:45] And she was the kind of woman that, yeah, people talked about her, and that's why she didn't want to go during the time where everybody was there. But Jesus met her there and talked to her anyway. And like I said, that encounter changed her life.
[00:09:00] He talked to her not to embarrass her, but to let her know that she could be restored.
[00:09:07] He had a conversation with her.
[00:09:10] And because of that, some have said that she became an evangelist. And I say that because once Jesus had that conversation and told her who he was and how her life could be changed and her life was changed at that moment, she went and told other people about it. She didn't hide it. She didn't keep it to herself. She said.
[00:09:38] She went out and started telling people, come see a man, come see a man. She became an evangelist just that quick. So an encounter with Jesus can change your whole life. It can change the trajectory of your life, no matter what your past life look like. And we all have a past, right? And he asked her a question about her husband, and then he had to let her know, yeah, I know your story. I know all about you. But come, come, let's. Let's have. Let's talk. And like I said, she.
[00:10:09] Her life has changed. And she went and told other people.
[00:10:15] And it wasn't just the people that were nice to her she told. She was telling everybody, people who probably had talked about her, who, I'm sure when she came and said, come see a man, they were looking at her like, what, What. What you mean?
[00:10:27] But she didn't want to keep what she had encountered and what she felt, she couldn't keep it to herself. She wanted to share that love with other people. And so what that tells us, what her story tells us, is that your past doesn't cancel your purpose.
[00:10:47] Okay? Your past doesn't cancel your purpose.
[00:10:52] Actually, that's a part of your testimony.
[00:10:55] It's a part of who you are and what you've gone through. Your past can help somebody else because there's someone else that may have the same type of past that you have, may have the same type of story that you have. And so that doesn't cancel what God has purposed for your life. There's a purpose for your life. And so just like the Samaritan woman and her life was changed, yours can be changed too. But just having that encounter.
[00:11:25] God will use your story to reach people you didn't even expect.
[00:11:30] Amen.
[00:11:32] So you may not understand why you are dealing with certain things that you're dealing with now, or why you had to go through the hurt or the disappointment or the letdown or the really tough season in your life. You may not understand why, but there's a purpose to it. And there are people that he wants you to encounter that your story can help change their. Their lives. Okay, so what's the takeaway from Ms. Samaritan woman?
[00:12:02] Is your past does not qualify. Disqualify. Your past does not disqualify your purpose. Okay. Your past does not disqualify your purpose.
[00:12:16] Yeah. That's what I want you to remember.
[00:12:22] It's all a part of your story, all a part of your testimony. Okay. All right. Ruth. Ruth. Oh, Ruth. Ruth was a Moabite widow who chose to follow her Israelite mother in law, Naomi. She. There's a whole story about Ruth and Naomi, what they went through.
[00:12:42] Ruth husband died, and her husband was the son of Naomi. And there's a whole story, and I want you to go read it.
[00:12:55] She chose loyalty. When it would have been easier to walk away. She told Naomi, where you go, I go.
[00:13:03] She also said, your people would be my people and your God will be my God. And because in that, in the. In the history, in the culture during that time, because her husband died, Naomi told her, go back to your people. I can't give you another son. I'm too old to have another son for you. So go back to your people, find you a husband. Because during that time, the women to be covered needed to be to have a husband. The husband covered them. And so because her husband died, her mother in law said, listen, I can't give you another son, so another husband. I can't have another son, so I can't give you another husband.
[00:13:43] And. And there were two. There was Ruth and there was Opal. Opal went back. I'm giving you a little bit history. Opal went back to help people. Opal. But Ruth said, no, I'm going to stay with you, Naomi. And because of that, again, her. Because of what she decided to do, it put her in the lineage of Jesus. Okay? Because of one decision, because of being faithful, it put her in the direct lineage of Jesus. She had no idea what was coming down the pipe, but she was faithful. And Naomi saw, because of her faithfulness, Naomi helped her and put her in the place to find her. Boaz, y' all know the story of Ruth and Boaz. But. And if you don't, you need to go read it. It is an amazing love story. I promise you, you will go. Oh, my gosh. But Naomi appreciated the faithfulness that Ruth had for her. And so because of that, she was blessed beyond measure and put her in the direct lineage of Jesus.
[00:14:50] Just be faithful. You don't have to have your name in flashy lights are all over the place and everybody knows who you are and you have to have a title and all of these things. You just be faithful and watch how God blesses you. Just be faithful. And it would be amazing, the story that the testimony, again, testimony keeps coming back, but the testimony that you will have because you were faithful.
[00:15:19] Ruth teaches us that obedience in the ordinary can lead to extraordinary legacy.
[00:15:26] Being obedient in the ordinary can lead to extraordinary legacy.
[00:15:33] Wow, that's deep. That's heavy. So be faithful in the small things. And it can position you for generational impact.
[00:15:42] We want our impact to last for generations, not just for right now. So the decisions that we make now not only affect us, it will affect generations down the line.
[00:15:56] The decisions, the faithfulness that our ancestors had has impacted our lives, the decisions that they made. And so the decisions that we make daily and the faithfulness, the obedience that we have, not only affects us, but it affects our generations.
[00:16:16] Your children, your children's children, your children, children's children's children. Right. So for generations. So think about that.
[00:16:26] That's really something to think about. And so it's not just about us, it's not just about you. It's not just about your feelings. We talked about that last week. It is about how will the decisions I make and my faithfulness, not just to God, but to God, to his people, to the people that are connected to me. Because we don't know how. The decisions we make, we don't understand at the time, but it can definitely impact them as well. Okay. All right. So Deborah, she's my last historical figure, woman out of the Bible. Deborah, who was Deborah? She was a leader, she was a judge in a male dominated society.
[00:17:09] She was a woman given directions in a time when that was not the norm. But she didn't shrink. She walked in her greatness, she walked in her purpose. And even though they may have been men, I'm sure, who were intimidated by her, who probably felt that she shouldn't have been a judge, she did not lower her standards and who she was dumb down herself in order to be accepted in this position.
[00:17:38] She didn't Second guess herself. She led with wisdom and authority.
[00:17:43] And I just want to let you know that if God calls you to lead, you don't have to apologize for it.
[00:17:51] Not at all.
[00:17:53] I saw a clip that Kamala Harris was talking, and she said there were some people who felt like she wasn't quiet enough or humble enough. And she said, why should I be?
[00:18:11] I have worked hard, and it's not a place of being arrogant. She said it's not a place of not being appreciative of where she is. It's just understanding that I'm here, I have a purpose. And it's okay to lead. It's okay to be sometimes loud. It's okay to. To have an opinion. Why is it that women can't lead? Why is it that women can't have an opinion? Why is it more acceptable for some. For women to just be quiet and be seen and not heard? Why? No, that's not what God. God doesn't want us to be that. He has put purpose. So he has called you to lead. Lead with excellence, lead with, unapologetically lead. And that's what Deborah did.
[00:19:01] She led and she made decisions, and she did it boldly. And that's how we should live. Deborah was a great example.
[00:19:10] Some people call it Deborah, but Deborah was a great example of how to lead without being afraid.
[00:19:19] Without being afraid. And I'm sure there may have been moments where she was afraid, but she knew what God had placed in her and where God placed her, and she did it boldly. And so that's the takeaway. He calls you and he equips you to lead boldly, even though you may feel like you're not a leader.
[00:19:37] Trust. I am one that have been placed in leadership roles. And I'm like, that is not me. I have always been the quiet, timid, you know, behind the scenes. I don't have to be seen. I don't have to say anything.
[00:19:51] I don't want to have to make the hard decision sometimes. But that's not what God has placed in me. And other people saw it. And so I had to learn how to walk in it boldly. And that's what Deborah teaches us, how to walk in it boldly. Okay. All right. So who are some women?
[00:20:09] So that's. Those are my women that I wanted to highlight from the biblical aspect. And so now I want to talk about some women that you may not know or you may know, but these are some women you should know. Okay. And I wanted to do some research and highlight some women that not all people know. You know, we know our sojourner truths, and we know Maya Angelou and we know Harriet Tubman. Like, we know those women. Right? So I wanted to highlight some women that may not be known, but they also made huge contributions to society and to their communities. And I want us to talk about them today. Okay.
[00:20:54] All right. So these women had the same courage and faith as the. The women out of the Bible, and they allowed their faith and their courage and to, like I said, made great contributions to their society and the community and to make life better for all of us. All right, so the first one is Septima Clark.
[00:21:17] She was born in 1898 in Charleston, South Carolina, doing segregation. She's known as the mother of the movement.
[00:21:27] And what she did is she taught people how to read. She created literacy programs because she knew that in order to be able to vote, doing the Civil Rights movement, you had to know how to read. And so she wanted our people, black people, to be able to vote. And so what she did is that, like I said, she developed literacy programs that empowered black citizens to vote. During the Civil rights movement, it wasn't just about being able to vote. It was about freedom. It was about dignity. It was about being able to stand up for your rights. And she knew that was important, and so that's what she did.
[00:22:14] She knew it was important for her to learn how to read, but she wanted the people that were around her to know how to read as well. And in Charleston, actually, funny story, my daughter, when we lived in Charleston, she attended. She went to the Septima Clark daycare. There was a daycare in Charleston right downtown that's named after Septa McClart.
[00:22:33] And so I thought that was so awesome when she. When I enrolled her at the school, because right next door to her was where I actually worked at a. I taught kindergarten. And so, yeah, that was history, just alive every day. But she made a difference.
[00:22:51] She knew that knowledge is powerful and that it was needed in order to be able to make a difference.
[00:23:03] And sometimes people looked. I'm sure, looked at her and wasn't happy. Right. The people didn't want her to teach black people how to read, but she knew that there was a purpose. And so when you combine knowledge with purpose and you are powerful, and she knew that, and she wanted to equip her people to. To do that. And because of that, lives were changed. Lives were changed for generations. Like we talked about a few minutes ago, lives were changed for generations. And so we are grateful for her life and what she did. Okay, all right. Claudette Colvin. Claudette Colvin. And some people know about her, but there are a lot of people that don't. So who was Claudette Colvin? She.
[00:23:54] And why is she one that needed to be recognized? So before there was Rosa Parks, there was Claudette. So Claudette was 15 years old, she lived in Montgomery, Alabama, and she refused to give up her seat on a bus before Rosa Parks. And because of her, her refusal, it started. That's what really sparked the.
[00:24:20] The legal case that ended the bus segregation. Rosa Parks is, of course, most well known for refusing to give up her seat, but Claudette was the first one.
[00:24:33] So the takeaway from that, and I thought I wrote it, and I was like, yeah, this is good. You don't have to be famous to be fearless.
[00:24:40] You don't have to, like I said earlier, your names don't have to be in flashing lights and you don't have to be in all the pictures. And you know, but she made a difference because that day she made that decision, it started the process.
[00:24:57] It started other people to realize that, yeah, I'm not giving up my seat either.
[00:25:02] She didn't have a platform. She wasn't trying to make history. She just knew she wasn't giving up her seat that day.
[00:25:07] And I can sit here just like you can sit here, sir.
[00:25:10] And so because of that, it started a revolution, right? And so sometimes courage isn't loud. We talked about that later.
[00:25:22] Sometimes courage isn't loud, but it's necessary, right? And so doing the right thing, even when no one is clapping for you, is important.
[00:25:32] Always choose to do the right thing. You don't know how that decision can change the world.
[00:25:42] The world.
[00:25:44] All right? So every day, think about it. Just one small decision. You think it's small at the time, you think it's small and maybe insignificant at the time. It's not. You don't know how that can change what happens for your future. So Claudette Colvin, 15 years old, she was a baby. I'm thinking like my, the 15 year old, 15 year olds that I work with or when my daughter was 15, how that was such a huge decision. But she knew. And even in that day, it made in her mind, she probably didn't even think that it was going to cause all of this, but she just took the courage and said, I'm not giving up my seat. I'm not doing it. Not today.
[00:26:26] And again, this one small decision can change everything. Okay, all right. And finally, when Gari Matai and I hope I'M saying that name correctly, but she was the first African woman to win the Nobel Peace Prize.
[00:26:47] The first one, first African to win the Nobel Peace Prize. She started by planting trees, but it grew into a movement that empowered women, restored communities, and honored the earth.
[00:27:00] Just one decision, just something simple, planting trees. And it started a movement.
[00:27:07] And because of that, it grew into something so big that people did start to recognize what she had done and what she was doing, and she won the Nobel Peace Prize.
[00:27:17] And one thing I wanted to bring to your attention, that is just small acts doesn't have to be big, small, little things.
[00:27:25] I've said this in a previous episode that my coworker, in all his infinite wisdom, said, big ain't nothing but a whole lot of littles. And that is so true. And it was just small things. But when you put it in God's hands, you can see how God can turn it and make it into something bigger, something transformative, something that can just change everything.
[00:27:50] And that because of her love for Earth and because of what she was doing and making the change, someone saw it and. And she was honored for it. The Nobel Peace Prize. How. How huge is that now? When we make small acts and make. And do small things and make decisions, does that mean we're going to always win a huge prize and be recognized? No, because. But it's not about that. It's about doing what is right. It's about doing what it takes to make a difference in your life, in your family's life, in your.
[00:28:22] Your community, in your.
[00:28:24] Your city. It's about those things. You see a. A change or something is needed, and you know, you have what it takes or you have that, that inkling, that nudge to say, you know what, you know what, what it takes in order to. To make that better.
[00:28:39] Do it.
[00:28:41] Do it.
[00:28:43] That small act in God's hands can turn into something greater and bigger.
[00:28:48] And that's important to remember.
[00:28:52] Just do. Just be obedient to the. To that nudge so that you can do it to that whisper. Right?
[00:29:00] You can do it.
[00:29:02] Okay, so some reflection questions. What is God calling you to do? That's what I would. You know, like I was just saying, what is God calling you to do?
[00:29:13] Where is he asking you to be bold, to be faithful, to speak up?
[00:29:19] Where, you know, you know, like, I. I don't have to even, you know, no one has to tell you, you know where he's telling you, though, those things that have been.
[00:29:30] Um, I know Pastor Jeremy likes to say, if you want to know what your purpose is.
[00:29:37] Think about the things that when people do it and they don't do it right. And it aggravates you, that is something that. That may be your purpose, Right. Or maybe that's the area he wants you to be bold in or to speak up. Right? So if there's something that you see people doing it and you go, oh, I could. Yeah. Ooh. I could see how they can make that better. Or I feel like I could do that a little bit better, or I can help them. That may be the area that. That you're supposed to be working in. That could be your purpose. Where has he told you to be faithful? Those things are where you need to be.
[00:30:16] Because the same way God used Esther and Deborah and Ruth, he can use you the same way he worked through them, he can work through you the same way he worked through the women that I talked about. Septima Clark and Ms. Colvin and Wangari Mattiah. Like I said, I hope I'm saying her name right. The way he worked through them and helped them make those small decisions or help them be bold, he can do the same thing for you. He has no respect to person.
[00:30:51] Right. It didn't end with them.
[00:30:53] It continues on. And so doing this women's. And we're at the end, like I said, but it does. Just because we're at the end of March doesn't mean that we can't keep making her story. Not history, but her story. Her story, right? So it doesn't end in March. We just use that time to acknowledge it. But it continues on. Don't stop being great. Don't stop being bold for. Don't stop speaking up for what's right. Don't stop being a leader. Don't lower your yourself or try to minimize who you are to make other people feel good about who they are. That's not what this is about. You can be great, I can be great. We all can be great at the same time. Okay? Your light can shine, my light can shine. Everybody's light can shine at the same time.
[00:31:38] Do that. Okay.
[00:31:41] Like I said, he's not looking for perfection. He's looking for willingness. All right, so as I close out, I want you to remember your story matters, your obedience matters, and your faith matters.
[00:31:54] Even if it seems small right now. God has a purpose. He knows how to turn it around. Make those smalls into big great things.
[00:32:05] Small beginnings can turn into great endings. He huge endings, life changing endings for you for generations to come.
[00:32:15] So you have to just continue to trust him. Be obedient. Talk to him. Ask him. Remember the capital T truths.
[00:32:23] Read his word. Do those things and walk in your greatness. Continue to walk in your boldness and see how life can change.
[00:32:33] Thank you. I hope this has helped you a little bit. I hope, you know, you enjoy spending time with me as we honor and acknowledge those women.
[00:32:42] Acknowledge. Honor the women that are in your life. Honor yourself.
[00:32:46] You have done great things. You are doing great things. You are managing life. You're doing it all.
[00:32:52] Some of you are. Are mothers and, and aunties and working full time and in school full time and supporting your. Your. Your spouse or your sisters and brothers, your parents.
[00:33:04] You know, a lot of us are at that age now where I. We are becoming the new parents, right? So you are responsible for your parents now. So you are managing all of that.
[00:33:15] And you, you a boss. You a boss. So walking that. Acknowledge it. Give yourself grace for those days where you feel like, I just, I missed the mark today. It's okay. Tomorrow is a new day. Tomorrow. Tomorrow is a new day. So I thank you for joining me on today.
[00:33:32] I thank you for joining me every time I come and sit on the second row.
[00:33:37] I know I haven't had guests lately, but I think, you know, this has been. I think it's been good. It's been good for me. I hope it's been good for you and for some of you who've been reaching out, you. You said it has. So hopefully I'll be having some more guests soon, but I, again, I thank you.
[00:33:52] Go on YouTube, like, follow, share, and go on Apple, Spotify, I'm on Apple, I'm on Spotify. Or wherever you get your podcast, we're there, I'm there. So please, like, follow, share, tell your sister, tell your cousin, tell your husband, tell your bestie is. And this is not just for women. This is for everyone. This podcast is for everyone. So share it. Love it, please. I thank you. I really appreciate that. It helps me and it encourages me to keep going. So, again, walk in your boldness, your story matters, Your obedience matters. Your faith matters. And remember, like I say every time, no matter where you are, no matter where God places you, remember to accept it, embrace it, and flourish in it. I'll see you next time.
[00:34:47] Sa.
