What advice would you give to the next generation of strong women?
You are seen.
You are known.
You are enough.
You are worth more than your body.
You are loved far more than you can understand.
You are treasured by God.
Read it again.
I have that note saved in my phone. I sometimes have to pray it 5-10 times before it sinks in. We are in a society that teaches us we aren’t enough. Consumerism lives on us thinking that, if I have “_____” I would be happy. If my hair, nails, skin, or body could look like her then I would be happy. It’s just not true. A strong woman said to me yesterday that our idols point to God because they will never fulfill us. We will always be wanting more. We don’t need more. God is enough and he treasures you. Read it again.
How can you be strong and vulnerable? I think strength is vulnerability. To be vulnerable is scary, especially in our hypersensitive cancel culture. It can be scary to share your story. I look up to those women around me who are strong enough to be authentic.
How have your trials made you stronger? I used to have the illusion that I didn’t deserve trials. That I deserved an easy life because I was a good person. That simply is not true. God is not why bad things happen to us, but he can bring beauty out of the most horrible situations. He can make us so strong and use our story to help support and strengthen those around us.
I was sexually assaulted at 16, and I often thought “why me?”. However every year after that abuse happened, God has put someone in my life that needed to talk about their abuse. Unfortunately, this is a shared experience for too many women. I have been able to share stories, tears, and healing with so many people in my life. God used our common pain to make us stronger together. This trial that I honestly couldn’t see how God could make better, he still brings beauty out of it.
Grace’s Intentional Act of Kindness
How did you use the $100? I used my $100 by blessing four people in my life with a little extra money for the holidays. I loved this project and really hope it brought a smile to their face for them to either bless themselves or pay it forward. I decided to use my money this way because those four people in my life bless me on a daily basis by showing up for me. They are consistently are kind and loving when I don’t deserve it. They help me be the strong woman I am today and I couldn’t see a more fitting way to use it.
What was the 'Intentional Act of Kindness' process like for you? For a minute I wasn’t sure how to use it and then it hit me that it didn’t have to be a big gesture just four small ones that spread a lot of joy!