We walk past her every day.  How many of us stop to reach out or tell her we notice? We must remember she belongs to somebody… She is someone’s wife, mother, sister, aunt, grandmother or a friend.

What if we would have known that her husband left her for another woman during sickness? Would that have made us notice her? What if we knew her husband threw her off the staircase banister due to having a bad day?  Sounds extreme, doesn’t it? Yet, there are women going through extreme situations and most of us are too busy to take notice, offer help, or pray for them.  These women are in the grocery stores we shop at, in the school district, in our neighborhoods, even in our lives and they go unnoticed.

How about the widow woman or the divorced mother who is promised love, protection, and appreciation in a new marriage but once the ring goes on, all promises are forgotten? Yes, these women walk among us daily. They come from homes that lack affection, attention, approval and they are abandoned in the very home,  by the very person who made a promise of security to them… Not only are they rejected by their husbands but they are mistreated, mocked, bullied, and emotionally ripped to pieces. They are left to wonder why they aren’t worth their husbands love, affection, or time spent with her. These women have been falsely accused, manipulated, lied to, kicked around by words, cursed at and told they are unlovable. Most of them are left to provide financially for themselves. Intimacy is something they have never shared due to pornography dividing them.  They can clearly see pornography or other women are desired more than they are.  Any amount of trust they had invested in these men, is quickly ripped from them.

When they try to talk openly and honestly to their spouse, they are quickly shut down, told how selfish or demeaning they are being. Almost every problem that arises in the home has blame shifted on them. This causes her to take on false responsibility and guilt within her. She now finds herself questioning everything he ever spoke to her. She silently cries in another room and cries out to God in desperation. Not knowing how to respond to her emotional pain, she begins asking God if she did something to deserve such harsh treatment…Out of nowhere, a lion within her silently screams, “I’ve got this child”.

She finds the strength once again to get up, clean her face and dresses for the day. Out the door, she goes to work or run errands,  all the while keeping silent and walking right past us. Yet again, without being noticed.

What was intended to harm her, God used to strengthen her. He gives her the strength to go on, even though she is dead and pained so deeply on the inside. (Genesis 50:20 reminds us what was meant evil against us, God meant it for good.)  She still holds the capability to come back with love by having groceries in the house, dinner made, laundry done and the house picked up. As broken as she is on the inside, she’s not broken enough to not care anymore… Her love and thoughtfulness may have been denied to her, but she still holds it for him as she refuses to allow him to take that from her. It is who she is and who she will always be. So all in all, she’s in good shape for the shape she is in…

Don’t let her walk past you unnoticed again, as she deserves recognition for the mere fact, that she is still standing… Her strength alone holds such beauty, admiration and should be inspiring to all of us who have never walked in her shoes… God uses her to remind us how to overcome evil, which is through love.

Blessings to each of you,

Robin Worgull