Birth of Big Ocean Women: a Model of Life Culture

I always learn and have my vision expanded when I attend a monthly virtual wave meeting (VWM) of Big Ocean Women. March was no exception, aside from the fact that it was so exceptional. 

We began by discussing March’s tenet, “We work with our global sisters to create generative solutions.” Our discussion highlighted articles in the March newsletter, which all seemed to relate to connections: 

• Intergenerational sisterhood for women of all ages and stages of life
• International Women’s Day
• Single stars connecting to make powerful constellations
• A newly formed WAVE group, standing in the ocean connected as sisters and mothers
• Women who offered connection to help a sister find home again when she relocated
• Our connective power in an increasingly smaller world
• Places of connections, such as front porches
• A call to connect and share our light as we value the worth of every person
• Recipes to help us connect and break bread together 

We next previewed the presentation our small delegation would make in person and virtually at the UNCSW (United Nations’ Conference on the Status of Women) in New York City in March. This included the origins of Big Ocean Women and an overview of our key tenets and goals, as well as reports on the life-changing projects and goals of women who value life and our power to create and sustain it. 

Even though I have often heard how our founder, Carolina Allen, was inspired to create our Big Ocean Women organization by her sister-in-law’s life and her remarkable influence on all who knew her, it brought me to tears to see the tangible results of this humble birth on my computer screen–all the faces of women around the world on the Zoom call who meet each month to promote a life culture across the globe. Hundreds of women–from teen mothers to grandmothers–have been changed, empowered, and trained to strengthen themselves, their families, and their communities because of the conception and birth of Big Ocean Women, truly a model of creating a life culture of faith, family, and motherhood. 

Big Ocean Women see their lives not just as they are, but what they could become. They ask God to strengthen them to make small incremental changes and embark on huge adventures and dreams, from educating themselves and their children, raising pigs and chickens, empowering young teen mothers, to unselfishly sharing their time and modest means to strengthen other women. They value each person’s innate worth and work together to create generative solutions. 

I am grateful to be part of this life-giving group of gifted and generous women. Over the last two years, I have been blessed to come to know and love a young mother in Uganda through our organization. She humbles me with her faith and determination to care for her own family, her extended family, and friends and neighbors. She checks my selfishness as I see her struggle to obtain life’s necessities and I vow to be more grateful for the blessings I enjoy and often take for granted. Currently she is choosing to bring a new life into the world which resulted from an unplanned pregnancy. She joyfully prepares for the new baby, even with the increasing responsibilities and challenges it will add to her life. It never occurred to her to do anything else. This is life culture. 

Big Ocean Women is a miracle child, conceived by a woman listening to God’s call for her to gather and unite women throughout the world–83% of whom are women of faith–into a powerful ocean to change the world, drop by life-giving drop.