The Ugandan Princess
When I write about the Ugandan Princess my heart becomes full. Full of joy, full of beauty, full of redemption.
But it also becomes heavy. And tears fill my eyes. An ache grips my heart.
The beauty that these women, and every woman carries is birthed with pain. With rejection. With disappointment. With sorrow.
These women’s stories aren’t easy. They’re hard to hear. They’re are uncomfortable.
Many of these women suffered rejection, beatings, homelessness, more rejection, fatherlessness, motherlessness. Things I can’t even begin to imagine.
Hearing their stories, broke my heart.
But in my photography, I badly wanted to capture and proclaim that their is REDEMPTION.
I wanted to shout that there is HOPE.
I wanted to declare that their is BEAUTY.
I wanted to show that their is HEALING.
It takes one person.
One person to see the beauty and to call it out.
One person to believe for things to change.
One person to love like there isn’t fear.
Will you be that person?
Will you love on someone who won’t love you back?
Will you believe in someone who doesn’t believe in themselves?
Will you pray for someone everyday for the years and not stop believing?
JOY.
JOY is not caused by circumstances.
But rather it is a condition of the heart. A heart full of thankfulness. Of love. Of hope.
JOY comes at the most unexpected times, and lingers around those who seek it.
JOY is spread by serving.
By waiting.
By loving.
“Ask and you will receive.” Jesus promises.
So why not ask for JOY?
“Seek and you will find.” He tells us.
So why not seek JOY?
It may not be instant, it may take perseverance, but there’s a promise, a promise stated without fear, a promise of the greatest hope, the promise is…
JOY will come.
BEAUTY.
True beauty is not something that can be taken.
True beauty is not just makeup, pretty dresses, and jewelry.
It is much deeper than that.
It comes from within.
Beauty is powerful, and strong.
Beauty is NEEDED. Desperately needed.
Every women was created with beauty.
(I’ll say it again)
Every woman was created to be beautiful!
Beauty was given to women from God.
Many women are lied to.
They are told their beauty is worthless.
That it causes pain.
It causes men to stumble.
They are taught to hide it.
To get rid of it.
They are told that if they show it they will become proud.
They hide behind work.
Behind their children.
Behind their husbands.
Behind their clothes.
They believe they are fulfilled, this is what they were created for right? To work hard, to raise children, to make supper, to pack lunches, to clean, to do laundry. This is their role as a woman isn’t it?
My friends, my dear dear friends.
No this is NOT your role.
Your role is so much more then that.
It is so much more powerful then that.
If you are a mother you are RAISING the next generation.
If you have been hiding your beauty, show it.
Be bold.
Be strong.
If you have dreams of being a business woman, but don’t want to overstep your bounds, read Proverbs 31, and then go fight for your dreams.
If you are an intercessor, pray like you never prayed before.
Believe for change to come.
Don’t get discouraged if you don’t see it.
Continue to fight and don’t back down.
We are in a war.
And there has been a lie that women need to stay home and let the men fight.
Well I’m here to tell you that the war cannot be won without women in the fight.
We are needed.
We don’t need to become men to fight.
We need to fight as women.
With our beauty.
With our mothering.
With our nurturing.
With our leadership.
With our boldness.
With our strength.
Men are strong and powerful, but women have a strength that they do not carry.
They need us.
We need them.
Be free my daughters.
Allow your chains to be loosed, your mindsets to be broken.
And join in the war.
You are needed.
There is so much more that could be said.
But I will let it at this for now.
Be the woman you were created to be.
xoxo
-Ash