I gotta say my favorite type of women are Deborahs who tell the men around them: "There's nothing to fear here. Trust in the Lord & do what's right."

There's something invaluable about a women's ability to break the cycle of intimidation & bullying that men so often try to trap each other in. It is a thing of beauty & a joy for ever.

B/c sometimes the most important thing we do for each other is not to take the responsibility off another person's shoulders; it is to support & enable them as they meet it.

Men, a trustworthy woman who does not fear the same things you fear is a GIFT. She can grant you perpsective & clarity in moments when you're being pressured by others, particularly other men.

"Then Deborah said to Barak, ‘Up! For this is the day on which the Lord has given Sisera into your hand. The Lord is indeed going out before you’." (Judges 4:14)

Note too, that this kind of simple, clear-eyed statement of reality is not manipulative, & it doesn't perpetuate the cycle of fear & intimidation. It breaks it. It breaks the hold of fear with the facts.

So here's to all the Deborahs leading in their particular spaces with hope & trust in the Lord. Here's to the women who refuse fear & help break its power over others.