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Little Women: the Quest of Mind, Soul and Heart

By Keni Kirkwood

I’ll never forget the feeling of seeing “Little Women” for the first time. The story of sisterhood, love, and finding your place in the world spoke to me on what I’d almost call a galactic level. I saw kindred spirits in the March sisters, especially Jo. I felt understood. And I was endlessly inspired.

As a celebration of womanhood, the film got me thinking about what it really looks like to be a woman in God’s kingdom. What better way to explore God’s purpose for women than looking at a movie that speaks to the journey of girls everywhere?

I love that in its depiction of purpose, “Little Women” doesn’t limit itself to only one view of fulfillment. It doesn’t show us one woman or way of life and say “this is how it works.” It reflects the reality that each of us is made unique. The March sisters are vastly different, like us. Yet, each of them live lives rich with meaning.

Meg is romantic, Jo is fiery, Beth is kind, and Amy is bold. Meg is a wife and mother. Jo is a writer, and later opens a school. Beth, though she leaves this world young, is remembered as a good friend and musician. Amy is an artist. Each sister has a story perfect for them. Isn’t that what we all long for? Well good news, my fellow little women, I believe God has designed each of us for something far beyond mundane existence.

Throughout the Bible, in His story of redemption, God uses women in some pretty spectacular ways. He chose an ordinary girl to bring His son to the world. And later, when Jesus rose from the grave, it was a woman named Mary Magdalene who was first to see Him and who ran to tell the disciples the news. Imagine being the very person to say “He lives!” What an honor.

So how do we find this epic purpose God has for us? We live in a loud world that tells us to seek fame at any cost, paints an image of beauty that often looks like disrespecting our bodies, and sells fear in bulk. It can be hard to hear the truth. But when we choose to listen to what God says, when we seek Him and read His word, we discover who we are. We were made to walk with our Creator, and we find our earthly purpose when we take our gifts and passions and give them to Him.

But walking in purpose doesn’t make life easy. Epic stories are rarely so simple. Miss Alcott herself is quoted as saying, “I’ve had lots of troubles; so I write jolly tales.” Even in her “jolly tale” of the March sisters, life isn’t presented as easy. They’re facing the civil war, dealing with poverty, and most relevant right now, the family faces illness and death. Still, life and purpose rise.

So what’s it look like to walk in purpose, even in the dark? First, we cannot fear. God says He has a plan to prosper us and not to harm us (Jeremiah 29:11). We may not know what that looks like, but we’re called to trust Him.

Secondly, let’s look at what we CAN do. Maybe things don’t look the way we’re used to. We’ll have to be creative. Think of your gift. How can you use it where you’re at? What about sending cards or e-cards to loved ones, supporting friends through social media, or even baking something for a neighbor?

I call this “going without knowing;” doing what we’re called to even when we have no idea where we’ll land. No matter what, we still know God will catch us. You see, God’s design doesn’t change, even when our world does.

So let’s use our gifts and passions to tell the story of Grace, be it as mothers, teachers, or even astronauts! Write your story with what God has given you. Whether you are just now finding your place or simply finding it in this season, you’re not alone. Let’s take this journey to purpose together, as sisters, as little women.