Recently I decided to explore the aspect of significant women throughout my life who had influenced me in one form or another.

My mother of course, but close to the top of the list was my Primary School Headmistress who I believe had significant influence on my future teaching career in both the State and in the Church. Moving to Melbourne to complete my secondary I met up with a number of Jewish students in my year level. Thus began, over many feisty lunch-time debates, a developing interest and underpinning of an exploration of women in the Bible, both Old and New Testament! Women whom God used to forward his plan of salvation and who played significant roles in “the drama of redemption” as it unfolded throughout Scripture and history. I wanted to learn from their lives and to further my knowledge of just how Jesus interacted with them by showing his appreciation of women, which for that time was extremely revolutionary. My studies reassured me that women do count and do have their own unique significance in the plans and purposes of God from Creation to our present age, and beyond!

The years have taught me valuable life lessons and there are distinct advantages in growing older! I can continue with God’s help, to keep on working for him and the community in which he places me, thankful for the many blessings I have experienced on my journey. I will strive to continue living my life with good grace, humour and kindness, respectful of and keeping an open mind for others’ opinions which may or may not be mine. I can still do my little bit for this troubled world, with actions and words that are not just ‘me’ but ‘we’. And when things get tough as is inevitable, I have learned, albeit painfully at times, to steer through or adapt to adversity, to learn from it by committing myself to regular actions that work for me, and are a good fit with my faith, core beliefs and values. Knowing that I am a forgiven child of God made in his likeness, drawing strength and resilience as did many of those women that I met in the Bible, receiving that strength from our loving Saviour Jesus Christ, I can rejoice with women of all times, in the many roles we are given, smiling at and accepting each other’s individual idiosyncrasies; endeavouring to put any pain to good use, and in celebrating our achievements no matter how small or insignificant they may be in the eyes of the world.

To God be the glory!

About the Author

Irma Dymke

Irma is Vice President of Lutheran Women of Australia.