my sister's keeper

Am I my sister's keeper? If you had asked me that a year ago, I would have stopped and thought awhile before I answered. And my answer would have been an uncertain one. However, if you ask me this question now, today, my answer is a definite yes.

What do I mean by "sister's keeper"? Does it mean that I care for my friends and am available for them at all times? Or does it expand out to the women that I go to church with? Or possibly even my neighbors? Does it include the young mom next door to me on the left, the young rocker/hippy looking neighbor on my right, the older, Hispanic mother of 4 a few doors down, the widow who is approaching 80 and living 3 blocks from me, the homeless girl that I met a few Saturdays ago while on Pearl Street, the African woman who was recently mutilated due to civil unrest in her country, the little girl in Thailand who was abducted and now forced to live out her days as a sex slave, and the little girl in India who was left in a dump because her mom had no way to take care of her? Are these ladies my sisters? Should I care about their plight? Who am I to be concerned about these women? When do I have time to even think about them, let alone possibly do anything for them? I'm the mom of a toddler, and as if that's not overwhelming by itself, I also take my son to two jobs, plus do everything else that a wife and mom does. Isn't that enough?

Really, the answer to that question is one that each of us has to answer on our own. But I can speak for myself and say that no, it's not enough. Yet if I just sit here and write a blog in which I preach a lot of words yet do nothing, then it's almost worse than doing nothing at all. Honestly, I have not met the rocker/hippy looking chick that lives on our right. I've spoken to her, and she was shocked that I even said a word. Yet I have not befriended her. I have met the mom who lives on our left; she has two little girls. And like me, she is very, very busy. So much so that I rarely ever see her. But has my son met her girls? No. I can say that I have met a few of the former prostitutes who are living in Thailand. I have worked with ministries that were busy in pulling these girls out of that lifestyle and giving them a home, training, and preparation for a new life. It's a wonderful ministry; the girls are beautiful women who have been recreated because of Jesus and His love for them. And our time and fellowship with them was blessed; they were like sisters. Yet am I actively doing anything for them today? No.

However, God is changing that as He knows that it is not enough for me to just sit by and do very little. My passion is to meet these women, to love on them, to encourage them, and to empower them by showing them the love of Christ and showing them what He has done for them. I know that if I don't do my part who will? If I don't offer my gifts in service for Him, then my life will not have fully served its purpose.

The Justice Project is just a little group of women who know that there is more to life than this. We're a variety of women as some of us are married and some are not. Some of us have kids while others don't. Some of us know our gifts and callings while others are just figuring it out. Yet we're committed to coming alongside one another in order to stir up the gifts within us. We know that this life is short; we know that we're called, each one of us, for a specific reason and purpose. And we're determined to help one another fulfill that purpose. We also know that we are indeed our sister's keeper as we need each other. Our world needs us; they need to know the love of the Father through us.

If any of this resonates with you, please join us as we need you. We need the gifts, the passion, and the unique person that you are in order for us to do this life together and to fulfill our destiny.