7 women

last evening, august twentyfive, two thousand nine, was a historic moment in my life. it was the last night of coming together every tuesday night for seven weeks (actually eight, counting intro night) to give our life stories and to listen to each other - to six other women who were total strangers, a place that was made safe for us to do that. it was not my first time to give my story but something special happens every time i do. we are no longer strangers but friends, special friends who are fighting a battle that includes shame and guilt and embarrassment and anger...women who through confession of the mouth, are walking toward freedom and light and hope!


seven women, seven weeks, seven stories was founded by Anne Beiler, who, because of her own painful journey, was led to bring to Lancaster County the ministry of teaching women that...

a. everyone has a story... 

b. the power to tell their story.


there were twenty eight women there, seven in each class with two facilitators. twenty eight apprehensive, scared and scarred, confused and longing to be free, women.


we began our evening with...'hello, my name is...and i am a woman of truth. tonight, i feel...' and were given a list of feelings to choose from.


we each had up to an hour to give our story with no interruptions and at the end no one was to try to 'fix' our story...ah, could we but all learn the 'art of silence!' it's powerful!


i think of Di (all names fictious) who had given her story before but never without interruption...

of Tina who came that first night with the saddest, most hopeless exression on her face but literally glowed after she gave her story.

there is Sue, feeling the enormous weight of past inherited mistakes and Carol, who feels life is a mass of confusion...

and Mary, who chose to come out on top of her circumstances...

and Lena, who came through really hard and disappointing events and still has a hard road ahead of her...



but we all have one thing in common...WE'VE BROKEN THE SILENCE!

for some, it is the first step of a thousand mile journey, but...it's a beginning to the path of freedom!  the circumstances surrounding us may or may not change, that would be nice but that really isn't the point...the point is this, it begins here...in the heart...the choice...the confession!


ladies, i salute you! all of you! i feel so blessed to have met you and your stories have impacted my life...you are special and i'll think of you often... 

...go with God!

oxs