In my younger days, I got labeled “weak”, sadly by male mentors whom I looked up to deeply.
It crushed me, in some way, to feel I didn’t measure up to their ideal of toughness.
In their worldview, the fact I struggled with anorexia, depression, and struggled in the valley made me a weak person— on their terms.
Yet, when I look back, at the times I cried, wept and got desperate with God, those were the times He turned my tears into power, my brokenness into anointing. My weaknesses, when shared and spoken out, paved a way for those walking behind me.
Research consistently shows that women handle pain better than their male counterparts. But lest this becomes a match between the sexes, it’s not. It’s about challenging our definition of toughness, and no longer equating it with stoic machismo.
After all, Jesus Himself was a king who came as a baby in a manger and got crucified on a cross.
If you, like me, have been labeled “weak” by the people you admire, this is for you.
This is toughness, redefined. You’re stronger than you think, my friend.
*Reflections inspired by my latest read “Do Hard Things” by Steve Magness.