Eshet chayil! Woman of Valor!

Kim with her granddaughter

“Eshet chayil—woman of valor— has long been a blessing of praise in the Jewish community. Husbands often sing the line from Proverbs 31 to their wives at Sabbath meals. Women cheer one another on through accomplishments in homemaking, career, education, parenting, and justice by shouting a hearty “eshet chayil!” after each milestone.  Great women of the faith, like Sarah and Ruth and Deborah, are identified as women of valor.”

--Rachel Held Evans

My friend Rachel, who makes her living as a writer and hosts a blog, has a series dedicated to women of valor.  She highlights women she knows, and also had a contest in which other women could write a tribute to a “woman of valor” in their own life.  I have been inspired by these stories and want to share this story as my own reflection on a “woman of valor” who I have come to know.

Nine years ago Kim VanDyken had a problem.  Her daughter was having difficulty in dealing with another girl at school. As Kim learned about the problems facing the difficult girl, she recognized some great needs in the girl’s life.  This girl needed someone to care about her, someone to reach out to her, someone to be a positive influence in her life. This situation was very troubling to all those involved, but in the end God used it to create something beautiful.  Kim felt God’s call to be a part of reaching out as a mentor to girls who have great needs in their lives.

The program Kim created was called Tender Loving Care (TLC).  Kim began by asking the schools to refer girls in need to TLC.  Each girl who agrees to become part of the program gets a sponsor (women from different churches in our community) who sends a gift once a month throughout the school year.  This gift is a way of reaching out to the girl with the love of Christ.  Kim also holds events four or five times during the school year to which all the girls who have become a part of TLC are invited.

On Thursday there was a Christmas party for the girls.  I was able to attend this party and observe some remarkable things.  Almost 50 girls of assorted ages came to the party hosted by Kim and her crew of faithful helpers.  There was a spaghetti supper, gift exchange, devotions, a movie and some games.  During the devotion, the girls were asked to respond to several questions about how God might be working in their lives.  One of the questions was, “Which of you girls just needs a hug?”  The response was overwhelming.  So there was just a time for giving and receiving hugs, reaching out and wrapping the arms of God around girls in need of love.

And in the midst of it was a line…girls waiting in line to get a hug from Kim.

The connection Kim has created with this group of girls is remarkable.   You can see her love for the girls and their great affection for her.  She consistently shines the light of the gospel of Christ into their lives.  Many of the girls have been coming for several years and are stepping up to become leaders and mentors in their own right.

I am thankful that I’ve been able to be a small part of this ministry from the beginning.  And I’m more than proud of my sister Kim who took a difficulty she encountered and turned it into a beautiful outpouring of God’s love into the lives of some very needy girls.

And so to Kim I say…

Eshet chayil!