Destiny Unfolding

“A Letter to Camille”
Esther 1:10-22

Dear Camille,

I am certain this letter reaches you in the presence of our Lord. As of now, you have not yet arrived. In fact, I am quite certain that you have not even left the place where you reside now to travel here. However, I must admit to you that the idea of you not leaving yet is comforting to me; it is probably for the best. The truth is I am not yet ready to receive you. There is much to do here in order to prepare for your arrival. There is so much I am working to fix and cleaning that must take place. However, I will be working diligently on such things until you come. It is my prayer that by the time you arrive, this place will be in much better condition. This is perhaps onfe of the reasons why I am attempting to send you some type of correspondence before you leave.

Yet, when you do arrive there will be much for us to see and do. It is my hope that we do not remain locally though. I hope to take you to my hometown of Cleveland and show you the park where I played as a child, the ice-cream parlor where I held my first job and the family and friends who have supported me throughout life’s journey.

It is my prayer that time will permit us to travel to Atlanta, Georgia to view my alma mater. Attending Spelman College, a historically Black women’s college, was perhaps one of the most empowering experiences of my life as a young woman trying to find her way. I learned a great deal about myself. It is my hope that if you ever consider going to college that you too consider Spelman for its rich legacy of educating and empowering African American women for excellence.

My time at Spelman helped me to appreciate the women whom God has placed in my life. These women have been integral in public and private formation. I hope to be able to introduce you to many of these women when you arrive. There will be my own mother, with whom I am certain you will establish a special bond. I hear her words each morning when I rise: “Courtney, I have raised you to be a respectable and productive woman within society.”

There will be my mentor Dr. Yvonne Delk. She has helped to guide me and has been a well of wisdom for me as the first African-American woman ordained within the United Church of Christ in 1974.

You will have to meet Mrs. Carrie Hanson, who has been integral during my studies here at Princeton. You must hear the story of how her father marched her down to the elections office, when blacks were disenfranchised, and paid the necessary poll taxes so that she could vote in the upcoming election.

There is Dr. Cynthia Hale, the only person I call my pastor and mother in ministry, who helped to ignite my love for the Lord. It was Dr. Hale who helped me to see what the Lord could do with me if I placed my life in God’s hands. I am certain in your interactions with her you too will become passionate about the transformative passion of our God.

There are countless other women I must introduce you to. “These are women who, like the yeast, continue to rise from the injustices of their past to claim their names, their identities, their authority and their passion for ministry.”[1] I am certain they will be as profound in your life as they have been in mine.

Yet, speaking of these women has reminded me of the many women of the Bible whose stories have truly inspired me. When you arrive I will have to tell you about Miriam, who led the Israelite women to dance before God when they were freed them from the bondages of slavery; or the story of Deborah the prophetess who led Israel into battle; or the woman with the issue of blood who had enough faith to reach out for her healing; or the woman with the alabaster box who performed a good service in the eyes of Jesus.

One woman of the bible, Vashti, has been inspiring me for many years as I have sought to navigate the hills and valleys of this world. While her voice has been vilified, the story tells that Vashti was called by her husband, who was drunk at the time, to appear before him and his friends wearing her royal crown. Wearing, only her royal crown. He wanted to display Vashti naked before his friends. But Vashti refused to appear. I am moved by Vashti’s denial of the king’s request because she sought not to objectify herself. She risked everything to stand for what she believed in. She cared not about the opinions of others and rejected his request, because it would only degrade her self-worth. Unfortunately, the spirit of Vashti is lacking among the women of today.

How my heart aches when I see the women of my generation treating their bodies with such contempt. Often times when I turn on the television I am plagued by young women whose half-naked bodies are exploited in music videos. But there are also other women who are, ironically called models, starving themselves to fit an image that is not natural. At the risk of their own health, many women of today are starving their bodies to match what they see in magazines ads and television commercials. Both of these images have negatively influenced the young women I see daily. I see them consistently attempting to parade or change the gift that God gave—their bodies.

How I hope you will not be influenced by such degradation and objectification when you arrive. A man who loves you would never make such a request like the King did of Vashti. I hope that you will have the same conviction, strength and courage as she did. Camille, I hope that you will stand for what you believe in. I hope that you will be an example to women everywhere and understand that a man never defines you, only enhances you.

I pray that when a challenging request arises in your life, like the one made of Vashti, that you will remember your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, and that the Spirit lives in you.[2] And when your position is at stake, be it publicly or privately, it is my prayer that you will remember that “neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate [you] from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”[3]

It is my hope that when you arrive you will also be able to experience the unconditional love I have for you. The love in my heart for you, has been growing for quite some time and I cannot wait to share with you this world in which I live.

One scripture I would love for you to hide in your heart is found in Psalm 139. The psalmist writes, “For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place. When I was woven together in the depths of the earth, your eyes saw my unformed body.”

Perhaps the reason why this scripture is so important to me is because of you, Camille. It is because I have not yet met you. It is because I have not yet physically conceived you in my womb, nor labored on the hospital bed. But I do carry you in my heart. You, Camille, are my unborn daughter.

The truth Camille is that I had to write you before you arrived because I realize that while women have come a long way, I am consumed by the conditions you will most likely face when you arrive. The current state of our nation, and even our word, seem to remind me of the same conditions Vashti faced—a society intoxicated with misogyny, materials and dare I say mayhem.

Yet, this letter has been written to you daughter to remind you of the strength the Holy Spirit will provide to you in times of challenge. May you always remember that you have the ability to stand firm, because Jesus stood firm for you at Calvary. Let nothing move you when others discourage you from the calling of God upon your life, because Jesus never let the cup assigned to him pass but rather prayed for the strength to see it through. And may you never loose faith in our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, who declared that if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to the mountains in your life move from here to there” and it will move. Remember Camille, Nothing, absolutely nothing, is impossible for you.[4]

So until you arrive, Camille, I will be waiting in eager expectation for you. Praying that your arrival is safe, sound and in good health. Just know that in the meantime I am still working on cleaning up this place, fixing up this world—trying to make it a better place for you, than it was for me. I love you, Camille. Already, you are my hope and my hearts desire.

Stand strong daughter, for you—like Vashti—will impact nations. I just know it!

Loving you in advance,

Mommy

_______
[1] Unknown. National African American Clergy Women Oral History Project. http://www.manrilla.net/naacw/oralhistory_naacw/
[2] 1 Corinthians 3:16
[3] Romans 8:38-39
[4] Matthew 17:20