The Picture of Strength, Part 2: Thursday's Reflection

Meet three Warrior Women! 

After ten days canoeing in the Boundary Waters for ten days, these middle school aged young women seemed capable and ready for almost anything. They recognized strength they didn't know they had. They revealed and relished their own individual strengths, but they also discovered how much stronger they were when they worked together as a team.

Real strength lies in knowing when to hang on and lift together, when to ask for help and support, and when to trust others--both human and the Divine.

I stood in awe as these women, in perfect rhythm with each other, tipped, swung and raised this 75 pound wood and canvas canoe  above their shoulders . They delighted in showing us, their proud parents and grandparents, their skill and strength, and we cheered their success. 

Each one of these women is capable of standing alone, of honoring and using her own strength, but sometimes help is needed. 

In each of our lives there are times when we need others to stand compassionately with us, when we need the comfort and strength of others to portage from one place to another. When we draw upon the freely given strength of others, we build our own inner stamina to bear the emotional or physical weight of what we are experiencing. 

Integrating a spiritual practice in your life builds your inner strength, a strength you can draw on when challenged physically, emotionally, or mentally. At the same time an intentional and regular spiritual practice can lead to discernment and clarity about times when the strength of others is needed. 

 An Invitation
Who is waiting to give you added strength? Are you willing to reach out for it, to respond to it? At the same time, is there someone who is in need of your strength right now? I would love to know.