Woman, Don't Give Up!

Woman, don't give up. You must not quit.

I know you feel like you can't take anymore, but you can. You are stronger than you think. The weakest person always becomes stronger, when they put their trust in God.

And He said to me, "My strength is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness." - (2nd Corinthians 12:8)

I know there are days when you get tired of crying and explaining yourself.

You've asked the questions like, "Why can't they see I'm hurting? Does anyone care?"

Sometimes they do. Sometimes they don't. Some don't know how to handle your pain. Their skew of love has regrettably been tainted. Forgive and release them, because it's time to focus on your and your healing now.

One day my mom said, "Yedidah, you are not Florence Nightingdale!"

I didn't understand it at the time, but she was trying to tell me "Stop trying to fix him." I get it now.

When I thought about you the other morning, I was reminded of Hannah. She was so sad and instead of being comforted, she was ridiculed during a time of great pain and sorrow. She couldn't have a child ...yet.

I know she questioned, "How could someone laugh at me because I can't have a child? I can't make myself have a son."

It wasn't her fault and the Almighty God knew it. Yet, Peninnah, her husband's other wife kept ridiculing her.

"6 Peninnah always upset Hannah and made her feel bad because the LORD had not made her able to have children. 7 This happened every year when their family went to the LORD's house at Shiloh. Peninnah would upset Hannah so much that she would begin to cry and would not eat anything." - (I Samuel 1:6-7)

Can you imagine how she felt? Have you ever been there? Have you ever been ridiculed and made to feel worthless or unimportant by those who could have loved or treated you kindly?

Perhaps you said, "God, I prayed, I cried, I fasted, but you haven't answered me and I don't know why?"

The amazing thing was God had a special time to give Hannah a special gift, a son.

God was not oblivious to the cries of His daughter, Hannah. He heard her prayer. He saw her tears.

Yet, she could not rush God's timing. Neither can you or I.

Hannah even went to the place where she expected to be comforted, the Temple of Yah (God), and was wrongfully judged, by the very one who could have discerned her pain. He didn't.

Instead, Eli, the God's servant thought she was drunk. I might even go as far as to say she was, but it wasn't from strong drink, she was drunken with sorrow.

Her pain and sorrow was so great her husband asked her a very important question. He wondered if her love or what she didn't have was greater than what she did have, him.

"Her husband Elkanah would speak to her. He would say, "Hannah, why are you crying? Why don't you eat? Why are you so angry and unhappy? Don't I mean more to you than ten sons?" (I Samuel 1:8)

He saw her in the brokenness. He saw her in the sadness. He saw her in the grief. He saw her as she was being ridiculed. He saw the jealousy in Penninah's heart.

He saw her when she was being judged wrongfully.

Yes, He saw her.

Despite Hannah's pain, grief, sorrow, and even anger, she continued to pray. She continued to pour her tears before God and He heard her.

Don't stop praying. At first, Eli rebuked her, but then he prayed a blessing over her.

Hannah and Peninnah both shared their husband Samuel's love, but Hannah was His favorite and Peninnah knew it.

The sad part is that Peninnah's name means, "Pearl, precious stone." But did she feel precious?

I doubt it. When a woman feels valued, protected, and covered, they won't spend their time ridiculing others and doing things to harm others

It's only when we feel insecure in our protection, love, and identity that we seek validation from the wrong things. Let's always make a promise to fix this.

Your identity cannot come from man, things, people, influence, or status.

Because when those things change you cannot fall apart. You need to remember you are special and the apple of the Father's heart.

Your identity comes from God.

Your hair may turn grey or your body may change, but that doesn't negate your worth.

There are days when we all wonder, "Father, where are you?"

Even Jesus cried out in a moment of anguish saying, "Father, why hast thou forsaken me?"

Had the Father forsaken Him? Absolutely not.

But because Jesus felt pain like us (in His humanity) He hungered, He wept and He too knew what it was like to be ridiculed by those He loved.

Could you imagine the pain He felt being spat on and whipped by those He cherished?

Have you ever been spat on? So disgusting.

Yet, He kept forging ahead. There was a greater purpose, just as there is for you.

Wipe away your tears and look past the smokescreen of desperation. You are not desperate, you just need to change your focus and allow yourself to be rid of deep sorrow.

There is a God who is greater than your enemies and even fears.

The Lord in His humanity was able to feel how you and I felt.

Hannah felt "it." The woman with the issue of blood felt "it." The world feels "it."

What is "It?" It is the compelling desire to give up.

Don't do it.

Why? Because there is more to life than the suffering you may be feeling today. As Hannah and others chose to press forward the miracle came.

The healing came and the victory came as they pressed into the process with prayer, humility, faith, trust, and resilience.

You must do it too. Your children, family, and purpose are waiting for you to show up confidently, empowered, and joyful. You can.

Don't quit. Don't stop. Don't give up.

There's more in store for your life.

Believe this. That's what faith is all about. It's about believing in God's power and Word above everything else.

People change. The world is changing. But God? He doesn't change. He is faithful. Trust Him.

If you haven't read or listened to my audiobook yet, entitled, "Don't Give Up, Acknowledging the Struggle, Celebrating Resilience," here's the link. https://payhip.com/b/U5bu

Be sure to download it right here from Payhip. It's one of my favorite platforms when it comes to sharing products and services. Think outside of the box. Amazon is great, but you've got options. Especially if the wifi goes down. :-0)

So go ahead and download it so you can listen on multiple devices without the internet.

(Click here) https://payhip.com/b/U5bu

Until next time Be Empowered and Walk by Faith.

P.S. Be sure to follow here on PayHip as we continue getting the website ready for you. Also, the next blog post is going to be powerfully vulnerable and liberating for many of you. Stay tuned...

Talk soon.