Meditation Monday: Women's Day. For Men.

Today we celebrate Women's Day in South Africa.

This day commemorates 9 August 1956 when women participated in a national march to petition against pass laws (legislation that required African persons to carry a document on them to ‘prove’ that they were allowed to enter a ‘white area’).

It's a tribute to the fact that women are capable of far more alone and certainly a great deal more together than they are often given credit for. I'm all for honouring women.

But today's meditation involves men.

Today I want to honour men who choose to hold their leadership within their homes and in business with gentle, thoughtful and considerate hands. I want to honour men who choose to bend their ears to their wives, honouring these with their full attention, insight and understanding. I want to honour men who consider their wives and female colleagues as equal and different to themselves and who celebrate both whether among those who do the same or among those who would scoff.

I want to honour men who strive for integrity at home and within their business worlds. These men want to be the people that they say they are, even when no-one is watching. Men who do the right thing, no matter the sacrifice to themselves or their comforts. Men whose word is still their bond - whose 'no' is no and whose 'yes' is yes.

These are men who make time to mentor those coming behind them. Who lift those young than themselves up to their shoulders and allow them to build where they have laid the foundations, regardless of where man's glory falls. These are men who, in every way they can try to create a frame within which their mothers, sisters, wives and daughters can be beautiful and free.

I want to cheer for men who are equal to the kind of women that marched that day. Women and children are watching you. Because when you stand tall and strong, full of godly character, all our hearts swell with pride and we are inspired to be better people than we think we are.

But you, ..., are a man of God; so run from ... evil things. Pursue righteousness and a godly life, along with faith, love, perseverance, and gentleness. Fight the good fight for the true faith. ~ 1 Timonthy 6: 11-12a