SEASON 7, EPISODE 12, “OLESON VERSUS OLESON”
62
TAKE A STAND
“When you believe in something, you have to be courageous enough to say, ‘This is what I stand for,’ and then patient enough to let them think about it for a while.”
—CAROLINE INGALLS
It takes courage to advocate for yourself or someone who needs help. No matter what culture we live in, some people are not respected or valued as they should be. Change starts with one person taking a stand against inequality, giving his or her time and energy to empower a group of people robbed of dignity.
In Walnut Grove, Caroline takes a stand to obtain land rights for women. As a way to protest she stays at the hotel in town and leaves Charles at home to cook and care for the family. Her bravery forces her husband to think about signing the petition. It is a bold stance for the late 1800s, but her actions start a movement of progress that strengthens her community.
Like Caroline Ingalls, my friend Rebecca Snavely has taken courageous steps to defend women in the Democratic Republic of Congo. She is cofounder and executive director of Action Kivu, a nonprofit organization that invests in women and children affected by violence through vocational training and education.
Rebecca was moved to action when she heard about women who lacked education or opportunities for employment. Caroline feels the same way when she learns that women can’t own property. Her courage ignites a spark in the other women of Walnut Grove, and the men eventually sign the petition.
God asks us to take a stand for those who can’t stand alone, help children who need role models, and give to the poor in our neighborhoods and the world. Caroline Ingalls took a stand, and we can too.
Defend the defenseless, the fatherless and the forgotten, the disenfranchised and the destitute. Your duty is to deliver the poor and the powerless; liberate them from the grasp of the wicked.
PSALM 82:3–4 TPT
When you think of people in need, who comes to mind? How can you take a stand, however small, to offer your support?