A Tale of Two Kates

Two events in my recent life have me thinking thoughts that should not be taking up real estate in my brain in 2017. One was seeing the excellent film Hidden Figures based on the true story of Katherine G. Johnson, Dorothy Vaughan and Mary Jackson – brilliant African-American women working as “computers” at NASA. These unsung heros of history served as the brains behind the launch of astronaut John Glenn into orbit.

It was the early sixties and they faced all kinds of racial discrimination like having to use “coloured washrooms”, but they also had to deal with prejudice based on their sex. At one point in the film Katherine is justifying her position at NASA to a man who questioned whether a woman was suitable for the job. She responds with a curt recital of her impeccable qualifications and ends with, “So yes, they let women do some things at NASA, Mr. Johnson. And it’s not because we wear skirts. It’s because we wear glasses.”

I love that black women do sass so much better than, literally, anyone else?

Fast forward 50 years. I’m returning from Winnipeg on a WesJet flight. As the crew are being introduced, my interest is piqued that our pilot goes by “Captain Kate”. It’s not often you hear of a female pilot so I googled her name. I didn’t find any riveting information on her but I did find a story about another woman pilot that stunned me.

Carey Steacy, who flies for WestJet, had flown from Calgary to Victoria on a Sunday, a couple of years ago, when a message written on a napkin by a passenger was brought to her attention.

It was addressed to the captain and stated that “the cockpit of an airliner is no place for a woman.” He goes on to express that he wishes the airline would notify him when “a fair lady is at the helm, so I can book another flight!”

He also references Proverbs 31.

SERIOUSLY?

At this point in history? And he’s really going to hide behind the Bible to do this? I guess he missed the part of Proverbs 31 that mentions the “virtuous woman” had a career (verse 24).

I supposed I shouldn’t be shocked. I know sexism is alive and well around the world, but here? Now?

Women in the workforce still have battles to fight. So let’s celebrate International Women’s Day. Let’s do what we can to bring awareness to glass ceilings that limit the potential contribution of our daughters, sisters, wives and friends. Because it’s not just women who get left behind when their potential is untapped.

John Glen might not have made it into orbit until much later when the first IBM computer eventually took over from the dark skinned, bespectacled, skirted ones at NASA. I wonder what other amazing things DIDN’T happen because women were not allowed to contribute…I guess we’ll never know. But let’s determine not to let it happen anymore. Celebrate International Women’s Day by advocating for some woman somewhere. Here are some ways you can:

A21 – http://www.a21.org

Fundraise, pray, participate, donate.

International Justice Mission – https://www.ijm.ca/get-involved

Update your wardrobe and help women escape poverty.

Let Freedom Reign – http://www.letfreedomreign.ca/womens-shop

Defend Dignity – http://defenddignity.ca

Not for Sale – https://www.notforsalecampaign.org

Shop and support Compassion’s child survival program

Compassion Canada – https://www.compassion.ca/shop/csp/.

Write a letter

http://defenddignity.ca/advocacy/

My Grandfather was a country physician. He was the best grandpa a little girl could have and I remember sitting on his lap and listening to his many stories.

After delivering hundreds of babies at home, Grandpa Hanna opened his own maternity hospital. He was its cook, ambulance driver and attending physician. I assume it was at this juncture, that he built his custom operating table. It featured a tall table, with drawers and a cupboard beneath, and a pull out section to accommodate the patient’s feet.

Grandpa didn’t retire until he was over eighty and he lived ten years after that. The one thing I wanted to remember him by was that operating table. We refinished it and used it, believe it or not, as a kitchen island. It added a lot of charm to our spanking new house and was always a conversation piece. But a few years later when we needed to sell the house and move to Calgary, we had to leave it behind. So I placed a note inside the cupboard of the table that said something like this: This piece of furniture has great sentimental value to me. If you ever decide to get rid of it, please let me know so that I have the opportunity to claim it.

We moved, years passed, and I concluded I would never see the beloved antique again. But then I got a letter from the current owner of the table. It was no longer wanted. At that point, I had neither money nor space for the table- not even in the kitchen. But I desperately wanted it back in the family where it belonged. My sister, lover of all things old and sentimental, conscripted my dad to rent a utility trailer and drive with her to Edmonton to redeem the table. She brought it back to her home and restored it.

The happy story of being reunited with my Grandpa’s operating table has a very sad chapter. My precious sister joined her Saviour in heaven late last year. And in the after math, her husband decided to sell the home he shared with her. In the process, he gave the operating table back to me. We moved it into our current, more spacious home recently. Now it is restored and redeemed. It looks a lot like it did when Grandpa used it to heal people. And once again, it belongs to me.

The story is too like the Gospel of Jesus not to draw comparisons. I was the rightful owner of the operating table, but the treasure was lost to me. Then even though it should never have been removed from my possession, someone who loved me, with resources I did not have, bought it back.

Redemption.

She then returned it to its original condition.

Restoration.

Jesus created you and me. He is our rightful owner. Yet by our own choice we were torn from him and he mourned. But at great expense, he bought us back, even though by rights we belonged to him the whole time. He restored us to our untainted state by his blood so that we could re-enter relationship with him.

If we know Jesus, we have been redeemed.

We are being restored.

There is no greater story than this!

Are you needing a dynamic speaker to take life experiences and integrate them into teachable life lessons for your upcoming event or retreat?  Email Donna at info@donnacarter.org to learn more about how you can Kick the Boring out of your event!  Located in Calgary, Alberta but is available to travel anywhere to share kicking strategies!