A Legacy of Strength
Growing up, I am surrounded by “strong” women. My mother is the quintessential example of a strong woman, and still is at the age of 81. Both of her sisters (my aunts Marjorie and Martha) are equally strong, and their mother (my grandmother), who has already passed, modeled before them a pattern of strength.
My dad’s mom (my other grandmother) even looked strong in stature. She was 5 feet 10 inches tall, with long legs and long arms, and could do anything and everything and well..she was just strong! Through my lens, the women in my life were strong emotionally (relationships are worth fighting for and you never shove anything under the rug), physically (they seemed to be able to do everything), and spiritually (I saw each one of these women lead in worship through music, dance, drama, or teaching). As you can see, I have a rich legacy of “strong.” So, what does that mean?
In scripture, we have so many examples of strong women that it’s hard to narrow it down to just a few. Rachel, Rahab, Rebekah, Reumah, Rizpath, and Ruth are six off the top of my head who just happen to start with the letter “R” - each of their stories different and unique by design, yet each identical in heart, desire, and willingness to be used by God for His Kingdom purpose!
I remember my mother telling me of a time in her career when she worked tirelessly on a project whose end result was a smashing success, only to have that success claimed by someone else. It was devastating to her. I also remember by mother telling me that when told my grandmother how hurt she was from the injustice of it all and that now “the other person” was receiving the praise for all my mother’s hard work, my grandmother replied, “No, that’s note true…God knows, He sees and hears everything. He knows you did the work, and that’s all that needs to matter. Yes, it’s wrong what they did, and I am so sorry it happened. But you know, I know and God knows the truth…Now, your job is to go and live your life..do the next big project…don’t let this thing get in your way of what’s next.”
Webster defines strength as “the quality or state of being strong; capacity for exertion or endurance” and another “one regarded as embodying or affording force or firmness; support.” I would say both women align with what Webster describes as a strong woman to be!
Life experience and spiritual growth have changed my definition of the word “strong.” I’ve come to realize that in order for me to be strong, I must first acknowledge where I am weak. And as God so clearly told Paul in 2 Corinthians 12:9,
“My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.”
How ironic that strength is ultimately found in weakness. You see, I’ve learned that when someone knowingly or purposefully wrongs me, my flesh is weak and wants to hurt back. That’s because I am human. But God says His grace is enough to cover and sustain me, and that if I allow Him to work through me, He will take over. Then, I can choose to forgive because forgiveness brings freedom and unforgiveness bondage. I have learned that the strong must live in freedom because the strong don’t want to live trapped in a world of hate, resentment, and bitterness.
So, what’s your definition of strong? I think it’s an important question because for some, that definition brings motivation, while to others it brings anxiety because they think they will never “be strong.” So, whether you are in the workplace, a volunteer, a stay-at-home mom, a retiree, or a student…growing from your life experiences, acknowledging your weaknesses, and releasing them to God so He can be strong through you…to me, that is the true definition of strength.
It takes time to cultivate, yes. But it’s worth every step of the journey.
*” A Legacy of Strength” by Susan Goss - Celebrate Arkansas - January 2017