A Resilient Hope
By Elizabeth Woodson
A Resilient Hope is part of our Restoring You, Restoring Us series through The Giveback Campaign, an annual invitation to create even more places for black women to rest. We welcome guest contributor Elizabeth Wilson as she shares her reflections on hope.
Hope has been my anchor as a Black woman leader, especially during seasons of uncertainty and weariness. Yet this hope isn’t grounded in my own strength—it’s deeply rooted in God.
I remember one moment early in my ministry career when I felt completely overwhelmed by the weight of my responsibilities. I was working long hours, leading a team, and managing projects that felt impossible to complete. The difficulty left me questioning whether my efforts mattered and fed into my feelings of insecurity and inadequacy.
Yet in that moment of doubt, God showed up in a simple but powerful way. A church member approached me and shared an encouraging word, expressing how they had been blessed by the work I was doing. Their words were so kind, and a reminder that God was working through me, despite my insecurities. I believe He used their words to reassure me that my role was not dependent on my own strength alone but on Him.
That moment became a turning point, shifting my hope from self-reliance to a deep reliance on God. It renewed my conviction that, by His grace, He would use both my strengths and my weaknesses to make a lasting impact.
Since then, I’ve learned to lean on God in every season, especially when leadership calls for courage and perseverance. My hope in Him has taught me to celebrate small victories and to see each challenge as an opportunity for growth. God is my constant source of strength. As I continue to trust in Him, hope reminds me that He will sustain me every step of the way.
Elizabeth is an author, bible teacher, and the founder of the Woodson Institute, an organization dedicated to helping believers understand and grow in their Christian faith. She loves helping people internalize their Christian faith and connect it practically to everyday life.
Keep up with Elizabeth on Instagram @missjazzyliz