The strongest women I know aren't on ESPN

I watched the Wives of the SEC this weekend. I wish I hadn't.

If you came away from that 3-part series with anything other than disgust, then you are too wrapped up in the celebrity of college football. The culture of artificiality, the opulence, the self-aggrandizing was appalling.

But the one comment that propelled me to the keyboard was this:

"The strongest women I know are coaches' wives."

Bless your heart.  You need to be introduced to more women.

I don't think that buying your own new car, bearing the responsibility of paying the household bills, filing your own tax returns or attending your children's extracurricular activities alone constitute a life of hardship requiring strength to overcome.

How do I know? I do all of those things. But I am not one of the strongest women in my circle of influence. In fact, let me introduce you to a few of the strongest women I know:

• Samantha is a single mother with 3 children. Her second child is in heaven because he was born with a rare skin disease. She watched him suffer for weeks before he died. Her husband abused drugs, had affairs and now has abandoned the family for another life. 
• Catherine's only brother was brutally murdered in the Middle East by Muslim extremists. After escaping an abusive marriage, her ex-husband makes her life miserable...taking her to court time and time again over custody issues, forcing their child into horrible situations, and generally terrorizing her.
• Sarah's youngest child was born with severe disabilities. Her oldest niece suffered an injury which has left her completely disabled, needing 24hr/day care which Sarah tries to help with when she can. She buried her mother a year ago after watching her completely waste away from cancer.
• Eleanor spent this past week...and every week of the school year...working with high school students who come from broken homes, if they have homes at all.  She spent most of her Saturday with a family who does not share her religious or ethnic background.  She serves this family well as she tries to show them the love of Jesus.   

Oh...and all 4 of these ladies work full-time in jobs that don't pay them what they are worth, much less pay them an extravagant amount more than what they are worth in terms of eternal value to society. They support the loved ones in their lives. They get up each morning and do what they have to do. They pinch pennies and shop sales. They pray.

Let's give credit where credit is due.

I'm so thankful for the strong women in my life. I pray that one day my daughters will look back at my life and see moments of strength. I pray that Trey and I are giving them the foundation so that when they need to be strong, they can call on the One from whom all real strength comes.

"Strength and dignity are her clothing, and she smiles at the future." 

Proverbs 31:25