International Women’s Day – celebrating unity
Photo: The women on the Filling Station Staff Team!
Celebrating community!
I love Community! I love it when a group of people gather together with a shared focus and value and cheer each other on.
The Bible exhorts us to unity, even promises that where believers have unity, the Lord Himself will pour out blessing.
It’s such a gift isn’t it? (Psalm 133)
The gift of unity in both women and men
And I love Men, and the unity of being with the men in my life! As a wife of a precious godly man and a mum to three grown up men (two now married), I love being amongst the banter and strength and safety that they carry. Their quick thinking and reactions and quickness to still wrestle and be up for a physical challenge (even as adults!).
But I especially love unity amongst Women. Today I want to celebrate women and the wonder that we are!
Pearls of wisdom from many cultures
I have been blessed by many women from different cultures, ages and stages over my life and I carry pearls of wisdom within me from each one.
Women’s hearts can connect deeply, across cultures and divides, even without words.
Loving without words
I remember sitting on the floor in Albania on mission, with a dear lady who’d lost two sons, holding her and praying with her. We didn’t need our words translated to feel the love and compassion shared between us, and to stand with her in her grief.
To newly living in Japan with three young boys, needing friends and help in settling in. Being welcomed with open arms (literally) by an amazing Chinese lady, as we eventually stumbled into her Christian nursery I’d heard about… me, hot and stressed from being lost! She welcomed the boys like her own, to join their party – a cool paddling pool and ice cream – and a reassuring hug for me – heaven! No words needed!
Women together across the table… giving their lives to Christ
Through the nursery, deep bonds of friendship were formed with Japanese mums all keen to welcomer the ‘foreigner’ and keen to practice their English. We drank coffee and green tea together, and progressed to baking English cakes and scones! All whilst, of course, as women, sharing struggles of parenting, marriage, life and death in a culture not known for talking about deep emotions. And the beauty of seeing Father God weave us together so deeply that eventually one lady, then another, then another, gave their lives to Christ.
What a celebration! And then the ensuing conversations with husbands and grandparents!
We create community
As women we carry this gold of drawing people together, of creating community. Within our Filling Stations, let’s cheer each other on as women.
Let’s help each other to recognise our giftings and to walk in them. To be brave together in trying new things. I love how in Exodus 14, the midwives stood bravely together to defy the king and save the lives of the infants rather than killing them. These women are an inspiration.
As women we love to support and encourage our me,n but let us also love and support and champion each other.
Happy International Women’s Day.
About the author, Suzanne Littler
From Easter 2025, Suzanne, along with her husband David, will support and encourage Filling Stations in East Anglia. Gifted in teaching, prophecy and the pastoral care of others, their desire is to equip people to bring in God’s kingdom wherever they are. They love ministering in the power of the Holy Spirit and have seen many people healed, tangibly experiencing a touch of God’s glory. Together, they have been on several missions to India and Albania and spent three years in Tokyo, where they started a house fellowship.
