A different kind of bold

When you think of bold women, who come to mind? Often it’s a woman who has made a big difference in a very public way, but a quieter kind of bold can sometimes go unnoticed.

I think of the single mom who’s devoted to her children and a good employee too. She’s active in her congregation, offering a faithful example to her children. She’s a bold woman. I think of the retiree who lends her creative skills to making quilts, offers a listening ear when delivering meals to shut-ins and prays for the confirmands in her congregation. She’s a bold woman. I think of the college student who witnesses to her faith in the face of the many temptations and demands that surface on campus. She’s a bold woman.

I think of the caring soul who faithfully writes, calls and texts her elected officials, challenging them to remember those living in poverty, those who are hungry, those who are in need of health care. She’s a bold woman. I think of the many women, whatever their ages, who give sacrificially, whether that giving comes from their money or their time or their God-given gifts. They are bold women.

Our mission as Women of the ELCA is mobilizing women to act boldly on their faith in Jesus Christ. Today, on Bold Women’s Day, we celebrate the many ways of being bold. It’s tempting to focus on those who are bold in loud, dramatic or public ways. If we know anything about being bold it’s that there are many ways of being bold, many ways of acting boldly on our faith in Jesus Christ. And few among us accomplish our bold acts all by ourselves. We live in community, and it is that community that supports us, calling us into boldness. That’s what we celebrate today.

This is adapted from “A different kind of bold,” written by Linda Post Bushkofsky, that appeared in the January/February 2012 issue of Gather.