Empowered Woman

When I think about powerful women from history names like Rosa Parks, Valentina Tereshkova, Florence Nightingale, Queen Elizabeth I, Amelia Earhart, Virgin Mary, Jane Austen, Mother Teresa, Emmeline Pankhurst, Elanor Roosevelt, Sojourner Truth, and Malala Yousafzai are just a few of the amazing women who come to mind. It’s not only what they did, it’s that they had the strength to stand with grace and put integrity and serving others above social norms.

The bond between women is powerful and we often feel a sense of obligation to protect and fight for other women who we may not even know just because they are women. People often misquote biblical views of women. People take scripture out of context and think women should be subservient or meek. However, I know a different story. When you truly get to know a strong powerful woman, you realize that what makes them so beautiful is that they also empower a tremendous amount of heart, grace, dignity and integrity. Strong powerful women are full of emotion, conviction and love. They persevere through trials that would break most men only to shine like a star and light the path for others. Surprisingly, they do all of this sometimes wearing the shackles placed on them by men.

I gain tremendous strength from other women. I have learned tremendous love and persistence from watching my sisters Melissa, Chenea, Cheree and Chantel struggle through trials of their own. I learned to be a loving mom from watching my own mother, Linda. I have gained tremendous respect and learned how to grieve with dignity from one of my dearest friends, Christina. I have learned to laugh and cry with women by my side like Leslie, Regina, Debbie and Amber. I have learned grace from my step-daughters Lauren and Juliet. I have learned tremendous leadership from countless women in my church and in schools.

In my grief and loneliness, I have sometimes forgotten my own strength, power, love and grace. I have forgotten that I have a purpose and that I am a force of change. I have let others take advantage of me and treat me with less than the honor I deserved. I choose to stand again with strength, dignity, integrity and grace. I am an empowered woman becuase of the women I choose to stand with.

She is clothed with STRENGTH and DIGNITY. Proverbs 31:25

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