You CAN sit with us! What I learned from the first Woman Alive audience podcast recording about sisterhood

One of my personal rules is to not check emails on Saturdays until after dusk. It’s a soft boundary that creates slower, more restful rhythms on weekends. Well, on this particular Saturday, that rule went out the window. And I’m glad it did. Had I waited until later in the day, I might have missed Doll’s casting call to the WA community, inviting us to attend the live studio audience for Woman Alive’s International Women’s Day podcast recording. When I received confirmation of my place, my reaction was… layered.

Excitement bubbled up first. The kind that makes you break into a one-woman celebratory dance in your kitchen before re-reading the email just to be sure it wasn’t mistakenly sent to the wrong person. But almost immediately, a low-level hum of anxiety crept in. It was the voice of self-interrogation.

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Questions about whether I was good enough, experienced enough, or worthy of the opportunity began to swirl in my mind.

Questions about whether I was good enough, experienced enough, or worthy of the opportunity began to swirl in my mind. Did they really mean me? Am I ready for this? Do I belong in that room? Over the next few days, I wrestled with this unwelcome internal dialogue. Many of us are familiar with the weight that comes with carrying similar false narratives. When something good arrives unexpectedly; an invitation, an opportunity, a door opening, instead of receiving it with joy, we hesitate. We second-guess it. We probe, prod and pick at what makes us feel inadequate or unqualified, until we end up stuck in a rut of auditing our perceived shortcomings.

But what if the invitation you’ve been quietly questioning is God’s gentle reminder that you belong where He has placed you? I’m thankful for a God who wastes no time in dismantling the enemy’s lies. He stops them in their tracks, silences the deception and affirmes us in the truth of His word, which always overrides the ‘facts.’

Growing up as a bona fide church girl, I served and flew-on-the-wall at various multigenerational and multicultural gatherings, created by and for Christian women. There were obvious perks. Leftover canapés and sweet treats were often available after the main event, and goody bags filled with faith-themed stationery felt like a prize for helping out.

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But there were also subtler things I absorbed without realising. Over time, I observed and occasionally internalised, unhealthy interpretations of what biblical sisterhood should look like. Discussions about friendship between women sometimes felt tense. The subject of sisterhood was handled with polite smiles and small talk, while an air of unspoken suspicion hovered quietly in the background. The hard conversations were avoided. The charge to be our sister’s keeper remained unexplored. Although scripture was referenced, the practical wisdom needed to navigate the messiness and sacredness of real-life relationships felt missing.

So when I arrived at Premier’s shiny new studios, I held on tightly to curiosity and hope. 

So when I arrived at Premier’s shiny new studios, I held on tightly to curiosity and hope. Doll and her guests spoke candidly and graciously about the beauty and complexity of sisterhood. As the conversation unravelled, they shared the pleasant and painful parts of their journeys; as sisters, friends, and co-labourers in life and ministry. Listening from the audience, I was encouraged and challenged by their transparency. It was refreshing. It was rich. It was raw. And it was complemented by the warm and attentive atmosphere in the room. I felt blessed to be amongst women who courageously leaned in, not away, from vulnerability.

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It reminded me that sisterhood rooted in Agape and Philéo love doesn’t demand pretence or perfectionism. True sisterhood is about showing up for one another in moments of celebration, and in seasons of brokenness and deep disappointment.

True sisterhood goes beyond a “just checking in” text. True sisterhood calls us higher, inviting us to do life together. Not just when things are rosy, but when things are rough. Even when you feel you have nothing to offer except hugs, tears and a listening ear. To be our sister’s keeper is to cover, champion and extend compassion to God’s precious daughters; especially when we don’t fully understand the challenges they’re facing.

As a fully-fledged grown-up, I’m unlearning the unhelpful beliefs that in some ways skewed my thinking. Instead, I’m choosing to enjoy the gift of sisterhood, fully embracing that pouring into my sisters and allowing them to pour into me, is worth the work, the time, and the risk.

This special episode The Sisterhood - from mean girls to women supporting women’ will be released on Sunday 8 March at 8am.

Watch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/Uo75Hmt38z4 

Listen on Premier Plus: https://www.premier.plus/the-woman-alive-podcast 

Listen on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/woman-alive-the-podcast-for-christian-women/id1695902621 

Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2Ui5New02Cmjlbf5c5MIDl