Gleaning Hope: From Struggle to Strength

The quote in the above image is more than a sneak peek at my newest book release, more than a little blurb from FIGHTING FOR FREEDOM (which, by the way, is now available for preorder!). It's more than a dash of comedy tucked into a life lesson. It's a tidbit of wisdom I found in hard times - and the one good thing that comes from hard times is the knowledge you can share with others who haven't made it out yet.

One of my favorite Bible stories is the book of Ruth; not because Ruth got herself a spectacular man in the end (she did, though), but because of what she had to go through in order to find herself in his presence. She was a foreigner in a smallish community, there by the power of loyalty and devotion despite fear and displacement and the looming threat of abject poverty. She spent her time gleaning leftover grains of barley and wheat to survive and to take care of her widowed mother-in-law, though she was widowed too. Probably lonely. Probably hot and dusty. Probably mourning the life she'd thought she would have.

I've never been in exactly the same situations, but I've been close enough. I've had to glean figurative grain from days that felt like desolate fields, with very little hope, holding onto anything I could find. Survival mode is real, y'all.

For anyone rolling their eyes at the Bible reference, let me try another way. There's a meme I see now and then, circulating on social media. It's an image of a hand, reddened and swollen, clearly straining as the mind controlling that hand holds desperately to something painful in order to avoid emptiness. The meme varies sometimes, but the hand is usually wrapped in ropes, coarse and fibrous and too tight. Below that is a contrast image; the hand now empty and finally healing, free from the strain of holding on too hard for too long.

We've all done it. Held on too tight to a rope that was sapping our strength, stealing our energy, choking the joy of life from our moments little by little.

The rope is a one-sided friendship. A job we actively despise. A habit or mindset we know isn't serving us. Sometimes it's a parent who's never going to understand you. A child you have to let go of, so they can learn the hard way what you so wanted to teach them gently. A community group that fits about as comfortably as a pair of too small underwear.

For many women (and yes, many men), it's a marriage or romantic partnership gone sour. Sometimes we try so hard, hold on so hard...because we hope this next effort will do it. Will make them see. And understand. We give all of what we have to "make it work," and when that doesn't do it, we dig deeper, give more. We don't even realize it's a rope around our throats.

Let me tell you, there is freedom in letting go of what can't or doesn't or won't serve the good in your life. It may feel like soul-deep rope-burn in the moment, but there is such power in opening your hands and watching that hopeless situation slide through your fingers. Does it feel that way immediately? Strong and empowered? Not usually. But in the healing, you realize you now have space and time and energy to reach for good things.

It is in the midst of one such letting-go moment in FIGHTING FOR FREEDOM that Peyton Porter says, "You have to empty a box of crap before you can put something worth keeping in it."

Life will always be full of challenges, but as you navigate whatever is challenging you today, please remember that letting go isn’t a sign of weakness. It takes courage to stop holding onto a losing battle and reach for healing instead. Just like Ruth gleaned what she could to survive in the Bible and Christine had to seek safety and growth at the Safe House, we can find strength in our struggles and hope in letting go.

I don't know if your imaginary box of crap is holding a toxic relationship or a collection of harmful habits, but I do know that when you pour it out, you’ll find room for something beautiful to take root.

I’ve poured my heart into the second edition expansion of FIGHTING FOR FREEDOM, and while we're still twenty-seven weeks away from the official release, I'd like to invite you to go ahead and preorder the book. I have always wanted this story to reflect a domestic abuse survivor's journey in a powerful and inspiring way, so if you choose to pick it up, I hope it serves you in growth and healing as much as I hope it entertains.

I'm three quarters of the way through the sequel, STILL FIGHTING FOR FREEDOM, and as I write the rest of the story, please know how grateful I am for all of your support. Every word you read here is a part of my own healing, every comment or share here or on social media is an encouragement that keeps the stories coming, and every member of the Undaunted Army plays a part in my effort to...