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Violence against women takes on many forms. It happens to anyone of all ages and backgrounds in any country and culture. But regardless of how one has experienced it, the consequences remain the same. Abuse makes women lose parts of themselves. It leaves them inadequate and empty, questioning their worth and identity.
Abuse can be powerful enough to break a woman.
But a woman also has the power to mend her pieces back together.
A Story of Abuse and Resilience
Bouncing back from abuse is a courageous journey involving self-liberation and healing. It consists in breaking free from an enduring cycle with a current strong enough to pull and engulf people back into its bleakness. Hence, when women reclaim their identity after suffering from abuse, they’re submitting themselves to a rigorous journey that may still bring in tribulations.
Author and minister Latissua “Tish” Barnhardt has written a book specifically about this matter.
In So You Want to Be a First Lady, Tish Barnhardt exposes the harsh reality most women encounter in a society that often mistreats them.
Hidden beneath its riveting narrative is a cautionary tale for women, detailing the challenges they may face at the hands of others. So You Want to Be a First Lady discusses the cruelty women may face yet simultaneously empowers them to stand strong against their perpetrators. It’s never easy, but it also isn’t impossible. Through her book, she hopes women will reclaim their identity and seek to become the best version of themselves despite the diversities they’ve faced.
The title questions whether women are strong and willing enough to withstand the harsh tides of womanhood. By putting readers in the First Lady’s shoes, the book encourages women to search for the courage to find their voice and own their identity.
What Does the Bible Say About a Woman’s Identity?
Before piecing herself back together, it’s essential that women first know who they are. What is the woman’s identity? Before they can muster up the courage to stand up and bounce back from abuse, they must first know who they’re protecting.
Knowing who they indeed are will help women walk in their power.
What forms a woman’s identity isn’t solely in how she dresses up or carries herself through a crowd. It’s not only reflected in how elegant or poised she is. A woman’s identity is all this and more; according to God, a woman is a “masterpiece created in Christ Jesus to do the things He planned” (Ephesians 2:10).
This is the same ideology Tish has abided by in her works and life altogether. As a minister, author, teacher, and firm believer in God’s words, she’s known to live by biblical principles and encourage others to find power in doing so. Knowing that God has created and treated them as a masterpiece will help women reclaim their identity from abuse and live a purposeful life. This will help them understand that despite the chaos they’ve experienced, they have the power to rise above adversities.
So, How Can Women Reclaim Their Identity?
Resilience is a trait prevalent in women. With the prevalence of aggression shown towards them, they have naturally learned to be courageous. However, no matter how brave women can be, they can still buckle and break under abuse. In defeat, this is when women lose themselves.
How can they rise above the ashes of their past?
Give Themselves Permission to Feel
Aside from taking away their voice, abuse can also take away women’s feelings. Life after abuse can feel like a vacuum, void of emotions and filled with nothingness. Women reclaim their identity by allowing themselves to feel – embrace the agony and the weight of the event. Sit with it and feel every ounce of it; only after that will healing begin.
Abuse is life-altering. It’s traumatic, something nobody wants any recollection of. Yet, no matter how hard one shuts these thoughts away, they can still crawl back into one’s mind. This is why it’s easier to shut down and bury everything. It’s easier to forget everything than to deal with what happened.
Violence has taken parts of themselves.
But women can reclaim it by allowing themselves to feel.
Allow Themselves to Trust in Who They Are
Nobody wants to experience abuse. Hence, when women become victims of it, they may question themselves. Violence will shake women’s confidence. This is why one way women reclaim their identity is to remind themselves of who they are. Despite what they’ve experienced, they can still make good decisions and trust their instincts. It can be challenging, but regaining faith in oneself is still possible. What they need to do is make an effort to trust themselves again.
Take Care of Their Physical and Mental Health
Abuse takes on many forms. But its consequences will be reflected in both the body and mind. Women must take care of both after the impact they’ve suffered. Physical exercise and mental nurturing should always be necessary to achieve peace after the chaos.
Violence is traumatic, and the silence that commonly comes with it can make women feel alone. Fortunately, they have people like Tish Barnhardt to remind them they aren’t. Violence can take their power. But women can regain control. Women reclaim their identity by stepping into their power.
If you’re interested in reading more of So You Want to Be a First Lady by Tish Barnhardt, grab a copy now!
