Sharing Our Stories: A Bible-based Message for the Hearts of Strong Black Women

Breathe, Martha, Breathe!
A guest post by Amber Hoopengarner

The Lord answered her, “Martha, my beloved Martha. Why are you upset and troubled, pulled away by all these many distractions? Mary has discovered the one thing most important by choosing to sit at my feet. She is undistracted, and I won’t take this privilege from her.”

— Luke 10:41-42 (TPT)

Am I strong because I have been able to live through circumstances that should have caused me to lose my mind, or did I just not have a choice? Black women are known for being strong, right?

For years, we have been known for carrying all the burdens of our lives and those around us and still smile and be supportive of those who we love and serve. Rarely do you hear us admit we do not know if we can go on any further or that we just want to give up. We have been known for doing the work no matter what the circumstance.

I found myself crying to God the other day after a situation combined with other situations caused me to feel helpless and for a day or so, a bit hopeless if I am being honest. As a Black mother and wife, I have the added stress of looking at the news and seeing the headlines of a Georgia mom who claims the school she wanted her daughter to go to is being segregated, or how the right to vote could potentially be taken away from those whose skin color is anything but White, or the countless number of stories where police took extreme measures against people of color in situations that did not warrant it.

The real issue is that we have been too busy being labeled as Martha when we should consider ourselves and live our lives as Mary. The world’s issues of race and politics in addition to our everyday life stressors, is enough to make you go crazy and lose focus on the person at the center of our lives who is Jesus Christ.

Jesus knew that worries and cares of Martha. Yet he explained that they were not going anywhere. He said that the focus still needed to be on Him, and the time spent in His presence.

Jesus knows that we are in historical times in our country (especially as people of color), but He does not want us to ever get away from the fact that He is what truly matters. Doing things His way, that fighting His way and defending His way is what we are called to do.

The world will continue to have race debates and discrimination until the day Jesus returns. Therefore, we should continue putting our hands to the plow and forging our way forward as long as we remember who we are doing it for (it’s all for Jesus).

Let’s Pray: Dear God, we come to you humbly and boldly, repenting of our sins and asking for forgiveness. Help us to stay focused on you as we stand up against racial discrimination. Let us remember to keep You, Your words, and Your ways as our main focal point. We never want to get so wrapped up in all around us that we miss what You want to impart in us in our intimate time with You. Thank you, God, for loving us and reminding us of what matters. In Jesus’s Name we pray. Amen.

~*~
Author Bio:

Amber Hoopengarner is a writer and self-published author who is also a Certified Life Coach working with women who suffer from PMADs and children who suffer from mental health disorders. 

She is a Maternal Mental Health Advocate and works to help raise awareness within the church of mental health disorders especially among BIPOC women.

Amber graduated in 2016 from the University of Phoenix with an Associates in Human Services Management and is currently in the process of obtaining her bachelor’s in psychology. She also has certificates in Mental Health Coaching, Bibliotherapy and CBT as well as in Perinatal Mood Anxiety Disorders.

Amber loves God and people! She enjoys making a difference through bringing up issues and challenges that sometimes would not otherwise be addressed. Amber believes that God wants His people to be loved where right where they are while they are working on who He has called them to become.