7 Women

Some of you may recognize Eric Metaxas’s name from his book “7 Men.” He is a remarkable writer and says that after he wrote “7 Men,” he was encouraged to write “7 Women.“

I’m not sure about you, but I found myself wondering how he could narrow down so many extraordinary individuals to such a small number.

He says that the extraordinary women in this book stood on their own, but not in a defiant stance that pitted them against men. They were secure enough in who they were to show remarkable generosity toward men, especially those they had notable relationships with.

With that being said, here are a few key points.

In 1429, 17-year-old Joan of Arc went to the French military and political figures with a message from God. To give this context, the Hundred Years War was raging and the English were winning at that point. Joan of Arc’s message was that God had given her a plan to win the war and all she needed was an army of soldiers with weapons. We now know that everything she claimed was true and happened exactly as she said it would. To this day, Joan of Arc is considered to be the savior of France.

Mother Teresa was known for saying that she saw Jesus in every man, woman, or child she met and treated them as she would Jesus. Showing love to the unloved was her most important goal in life. At the age of 18, she began her lifelong service to God. She taught at a boarding school for girls from broken homes and at a high school, where she taught geography and history. In her free time, she visited with those who were poor. Later in life, she provided food and simple medical care to the poor, visited with the elderly, gave comfort to the abandoned, and taught children. Mother Teresa was considered a saint before the Vatican ever made it official.

Rosa Parks is most widely known for her refusal to give up her seat on a public transportation bus, which gave rise to a movement that got national attention. Rosa was arrested for refusing to give up her seat to a white passenger. When it came time for her trial, Black leaders decided this would be the time to start a boycott of the city buses. The boycott would ultimately last 381 days. As a result of the boycott, they were able to change the law and change America forever.

In addition to the briefly mentioned women above, Eric Metaxas provides the stories of 4 other women: Susanna Wesley, Hannah More, Saint Maria of Paris, and Corrie ten Boom. I agree with the author when he says that we need to examine the past to know that we have not progressed to any point of perfection. By studying the past, we can see that our view of many things is influenced (sometimes negatively) by our own cultural assumptions. It is important to always remember to humble ourselves. 

If you are familiar with any of these extraordinary women, feel free to comment below. Thanks for checking this out today!