If I could

If I could add chapters to the Bible

And chronicle stories of the holy and imperfect women

I would write about you

The beautiful, flawed, and brave warriors

Though faced with utter devastation

You did not let betrayal decide your destiny

Or trauma define your identity

The very thing that tried to snuff the life out of you

Took a big toll on your fragile body

The grief hung on like a dark cloud in your soul

The unraveling of your whole reality threatened to crush your spirit

Like Hagar, you were manipulated and rejected

Like Ruth, you felt like a widow and destitute

Like Abigail, you were challenged by foolishness and impulsivity

Like Esther, you faced the horrifying fear of perishing

It seemed like nobody noticed your invisible wounds

The world expected you to pick up the pieces

Some blamed you for what you never asked for

You wondered if you have lost your sanity

Until you met the eyes that saw you and ears that listened

A heart who was willing

To journey through your death valley

In solidarity and compassion

At last, safety began to feel real

In your deepened breath

Little by little, you could say:

“I’m not alone

I’m not unseen

I’m not forgotten

I’m not crazy”

Even in the darkest night

You could testify:

“He hears my loud wails and silent cries

He sees every hidden thing behind the lies

The stench of hypocrisy and gaslighting is detestable to Him

The feeling of overwhelming despair are not foreign to Him”

Though the monsters of addiction and deceit

Tried to devour your peace and serenity

You are holding onto His promises

Clinging onto truth and integrity

With the dawning of each new morning

You look up for hope and daily mercies

You carry your sisters to Jesus

When trauma kept them paralyzed

You are on your knees interceding fervently

When the battle is fierce and unrelenting

You rise up in strength and dignity

Even when your faith is tested

This is your story

And the stories of many

The real-life heroines

Living in your impossible realities