No messing around this time, lets get right to the good stuff! Digest these words carefully and take note of your emotions. Looking forward to discussing these wise words with you at the end!
A WOMAN OF STRENGTH
© Maryanne Pale, 2007
She rejoices in God with a grateful heart and a joyful spirit.
She possesses the ability to genuinely say to another woman:
“I admire your qualities and attributes”
She is blessed with the gift of giving and a willingness to help others
She consoles others even though she too is hurting
She learns from her mistakes and acknowledges that she too is not perfect
She speaks with words of wisdom and not malice
From the mouths of destruction, her smile remains unshaken
She lifts her head and continues to walk in the midst of turmoil
She inspires other women to be the best they can be
With her life experiences, she touches the lives of a multitude
She remains determined to be the best person SHE can be
She smiles every time she says “I LOVE YOU”
She has the courage to take the fall for another
She is not too proud to say “I need you”
When her tears fall, she prays faithfully
When others turn their back on her, she still continues to pray faithfully
She is humble enough to admit when she is wrong
Through betrayal and talk, she remains secure in knowing who she is
She is loving enough to say “I forgive you”
She is at peace with herself without having the need to prove herself to anyone
She values her self-worth and reminds other women of theirs
She is not pretentious but instead she presents herself just as she is…
“A WOMAN OF STRENGTH!”
A concise, graceful description all women should strive for.
When we read this, we know we want that for ourselves. I hope your brain gave your heart credit for each line that described things you are already good at. Please do not allow your brain to keep compliments from yourself. We are capable of being our own advocates; we are often our strongest advocates in the worst of times.
You may have also felt some guilt or sadness after reading pieces of this poem. I know I did. The first line alone would be a stretch of my imagination to say I rejoice in my God with a grateful heart because I often lack the thankfulness and joy God’s grace provides. Unfortunately, despite the positive intention of this writing, we are judgmental creatures. We are quick to blame ourselves and the names of our adversaries creep into our thoughts. While it is not often said (because personal shortcomings are buried deep) we all most likely experienced some kind of unintended response.
So back up.
Let’s do this again, and lets do it with a structured frame of mind. Per verse, you are a strong woman.
She rejoices in God with a grateful heart and a joyful spirit. She possesses the ability to genuinely say to another woman: “I admire your qualities and attributes” She is blessed with the gift of giving and a willingness to help others. She consoles others even though she too is hurting.
We are all hurting. We are all misunderstood. Wouldn’t it be nice if we could put ourselves aside and push each other higher more often? It would feel so good to be given an unprompted compliment each day. Use your gift of giving to share that consolation with others. Pray for the people in your life to admire you with their words and actions in return. Despite our own pain and insecurities, we have the ability to ease the aches of others. If you are thinking the people in your life won’t appreciate or return the favor, I urge you to search for new people.
She learns from her mistakes and acknowledges that she too is not perfect. She speaks with words of wisdom and not malice. From the mouths of destruction, her smile remains unshaken. She lifts her head and continues to walk in the midst of turmoil.
If you have been told you are perfect, they were wrong. We are created and expected to proliferate imperfection. We are also given intelligence and time on this earth to improve ourselves. Take advantage of that time. Just as we watch our words, be careful not to let our expressions run awry or our body language convey the negative parts of the words we are restraining. Hold your head high and display kindness all over it, a beacon for those looking for hope around you.
She inspires other women to be the best they can be. With her life experiences, she touches the lives of a multitude. She remains determined to be the best person SHE can be. She smiles every time she says “I LOVE YOU”.
Each of us has been blessed (or dealt) with different experiences in life. Use them. You never know when someone around you is going through a similar situation. I fully believe in the healing power of talking and sharing. Touch the lives of people by sharing what you have learned or would like to learn with them. Your experiences will shape you from the inside out- no one can tell you who or what to be without knowing what you’ve been through.
She has the courage to take the fall for another. She is not too proud to say “I need you”. When her tears fall, she prays faithfully. When others turn their back on her, she still continues to pray faithfully.
‘I need you’ can be incredibly difficult to say. Especially when you really, truly need someone. ‘I need you to bring me a blanket/stop mumbling/run this errand’ flows as easily from the mouth as breathing, but such things are trivial. Putting aside our fear and judgement to really ask for help is daunting beyond belief. Falling is intimidating. Make sure that person will help you when you ask sincerely.
She is humble enough to admit when she is wrong. Through betrayal and talk, she remains secure in knowing who she is. She is loving enough to say “I forgive you”. She is at peace with herself without having the need to prove herself to anyone.
Wrong and Right- the antithesis of Forgiveness. It is so important to admit to our mistakes and avoid over-displaying our correctness. No one who needs proof of your worth is worth your approval. Do what it takes to find peace with yourself and others. I consider forgiveness to be more for my own mental health than the relief of another. You are not perfect, but you are you. Don’t work against your beautiful self!
She values her self-worth and reminds other women of theirs. She is not pretentious but instead she presents herself just as she is… “A WOMAN OF STRENGTH!”
I have this whole piece saved as a note in my phone. I refer to it often, and share it with others as my support is needed. If you felt something from these words and it lifted you up, I encourage you to keep them close! Share with a friend and compliment their ability to tackle life’s toughest moments.
Be a Strong Woman.
There are billions of people in this world; if we could all focus on improving ourselves instead of others I imagine it would be a far more friendly place to live.
<3 Drifted Way
