AND SO THIS HAPPENED JUST A FEW DAYS AHEAD OF “HAPPY” INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S DAY … 

Story story … 

Last weekend while driving to church, we were stuck in traffic and suddenly, there was an aggressive scuffle on the road beside us. A taxi driver beside us had jumped out of his stationary vehicle to chase down a lady passenger. He was punching her and shouting at her! My husband started shouting. I rolled down my window and started shouting. Next thing I know, a burly man appeared out of nowhere and grabbed the driver off the woman! He was shouting at the driver, “You don’t hit a woman! No matter what, you never hit a woman! If you want to fight someone, fight me!” Next thing I realized my husband was no longer in the car with us; he was also on the road, standing between the driver and the woman and helping the woman to get up and get away!
Folks … this is the world we live in. This is reality. There are many good men (and women etc) in the world, and many bad women (and men etc) in the world. But we do live in a world where it is not an uncomment occurrence for a man to beat a woman in full view of the world. We also live in a world where in a crowded road with 100s of onlookers, only two men were brave enough or cared enough to act out their convictions and stand up to the man who was beating up a woman.

It’s not just my birthday today, 8 March, it’s also International Women’s Day. Why bother to have a day set apart to honor women across the world? Because God made women, He loves us, honors us, uses us, fights for us, fights through us, redeems us, speaks to us, speaks through us, creates in us, works in us … so why not?

But another closely related reason is that one of the ways to address and reverse historical, cultural and systemic disadvantage and oppression of women in the world is to spotlight them and their plight. So Famz, whatever you can do today to end or at least diminish any culture of disadvantage, oppression, violence towards women in your environment, double your effort and do it. Whatever you can do today to uplift women around you who are downtrodden, or to just celebrate the women in your life (and make this a lifestyle) then double your effort and do it.

That’s all.

I am Coach Toyin, fully convicted by my own words and very much still under construction in the hands of the Father.