On their shoulders...

Numbers 27:1-8
The Daughters of Zelophehad
Then the daughters of Zelophehad came forward. Zelophehad was son of Hepher son of Gilead son of Machir son of Manasseh son of Joseph, a member of the Manassite clans. The names of his daughters were: Mahlah, Noah, Hoglah, Milcah, and Tirzah. They stood before Moses, Eleazar the priest, the leaders, and all the congregation, at the entrance of the tent of meeting, and they said, “Our father died in the wilderness; he was not among the company of those who gathered themselves together against the Lord in the company of Korah, but died for his own sin; and he had no sons. Why should the name of our father be taken away from his clan because he had no son? Give to us a possession among our father’s brothers.”
Moses brought their case before the Lord. And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying: The daughters of Zelophehad are right in what they are saying; you shall indeed let them possess an inheritance among their father’s brothers and pass the inheritance of their father on to them. You shall also say to the Israelites, “If a man dies, and has no son, then you shall pass his inheritance on to his daughter.

I know that feeling well

Stepping into a room full of men

Men who have authority

Men who have power

It always takes courage

Even now with years of practice.

 Mahlah 

Noah 

Hoglah 

Milcah

Tizzah

were women

who knew their vulnerability

and who stepped into their power

Leaving the place assigned them

they entered the arena

Armed with truth

they confronted the law

pleaded their case

were heard

and achieved change

for themselves

and for the women who followed.

Not only did they confront power

with knowledge and truth

they also held space

for their sisters of the future.

Victory is hollow

short-lived

unless it leads to

lasting change.

Called to be courageous

Called to transform vulnerability into power

Called to model sisterhood

Today.