April 8 — Your Voice Matters

You were not made to be quiet about the things that matter.Proverbs 31 says of the woman it honors:"She opens her mouth with wisdom,and the teaching of kindness is on her tongue."She opens her mouth.Not tentatively.Not apologetically.Not waiting for permission.She opens her mouth.There is something in you —wisdom gathered from your experiences,kindness born from everything you've been through,a perspective that the world will not hearif you choose silence.We live in a culture that has sometimes told Black womento be smaller,to take up less space,to soften their voices until they disappear.God has never said that.He gave you that voice.He filled you with that wisdom.He put that fire in you — on purpose.Your voice matters.In your family.In your workplace.In your community.In the room where the decisions are being made.Speak.With wisdom.With kindness.With the full authority of who God made you to be.Prayer:Lord, give me courage to use my voice with wisdom and love today.What I carry is worth sharing.Amen.