His mother said in reply, “No. He will be called John.” // Luke 1:60
For much of my late teenage years and early twenties, I was not very good at speaking up for myself. Actually, I was very bad at doing so.
After being bullied in college, I internalized the belief that I was a burden, an annoyance, and an inconvenience for people, and in a way, I shut down. I lost the will to speak up, and rarely asserted what I wanted. Not only did I believe that I was an annoyance, I also did not see how assertiveness and holiness could coexist within me as a woman.
Elizabeth’s example in today’s Gospel has been a powerful lesson for me. She only says six words, “No. He will be called John,” but reveals her heart, strength, and faith in those six words. She could have chosen to remain quiet and let the people name her son as they wished, but she did not. She was convicted—she spoke up.
Over time, I realized I could not spend my life letting people walk all over me, so I began to ask the Lord to reveal to me what it means to be a woman who is holy yet strong, faithful yet assertive. I asked the Lord to show me when He wants me to speak up and when He wants me to remain quiet.
He has faithfully shown me the way, and if you struggle to speak up or stand up for yourself in a holy way—today I pray that Elizabeth's example resonates in your heart. May the Lord give us all the boldness we need to say, "No," when we need to, the courage to be obedient to Him no matter what others may think, and the grace to allow His strength and holiness to coexist within each one of us.
Allow His strength and holiness to coexist. // @emwilssClick to tweet
Emily Wilson Hussem planned her whole life to become a sports reporter but turned out to be a Catholic writer at the hand of God. The heart of her ministry is offering encouragement to women in living a counter-cultural life of joy. She is the author of two children's books, God’s Glorious Girl and God’s Brave Boy and Awaken My Heart, a devotional for women of all ages. Find out more about her here.
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