If you had asked me ten years ago whether I was strong, I would have laughed.
I thought strength belonged to athletes, soldiers, and superheroes. Not ordinary women like me.
Then life tested me. It tested my body. My finances. My relationships. My faith.
There were days when I wanted to give up. Days when the future felt uncertain. Days when the burden seemed too heavy to carry.
Yet somehow, I kept going. Not because I was fearless. But because I had no choice.
Strength is often misunderstood. It is not the absence of fear. It is moving forward despite fear.
It is showing up for appointments when you're terrified. It is enduring treatment when you're exhausted. It is choosing hope when circumstances suggest otherwise.
Looking back, I realize that strength was never something I needed to find. It was something I discovered.
It was there all along. Hidden beneath the fear. Hidden beneath the pain. Waiting to emerge.
If you are facing a difficult season today, please remember this: You may be stronger than you think.
Sometimes we only discover our strength when life gives us no alternative but to be brave.