Strong Women

My husband points out from time to time that I'm a strong and determined woman.  He doesn't mind, but does do some good natured teasing about it.  And he's right; I am. 

I come from a line of strong women.  They were women who had to deal with harsh circumstances, were knocked down and yet, somehow managed to get back up.  They spent their entire lives doing what was necessary to get through the day.  They didn't give up.  They kept trudging forward, determined to make things better for their families.  Their strength came through adversity.  And yet, they are two of the most generous and caring women I know.

As I look at my grandmother and mother, I realize that I have many of the same characteristics.  When facing a problem, no matter how big, I tend to roll up my sleeves and get to work.  I make quake inside but I still come face to face with the giant.  Any bit of strength I have in me has also come through the trials and adversities I have dealt with in my life. 

And my daughter is developing those same characteristics.  There is a strength and tenacity in her that I can see.  She perseveres through many things and is developing some very independent thinking, and yet, she is quite merciful and kind.

There are times when I wish I was different.  I'll see women who are quiet and demure and want to have some of those qualities.  But while I can work to develop some of those things, the reality is the Lord made me with the personality I have.  My environment growing up and the example I saw in women in my life has also shaped me. 

Strength has come to me in many ways because I needed to be strong to deal with a child with special needs.  I had to be that way as we worked in ministry.  And much of my strength has come through having faith in God, knowing that He is control of all my circumstances.  There is joy in knowing that and that knowledge gets me through many of the hardest moments.

I can truly say that, "The joy of the Lord is my strength!"