Are you tired of saying everything is okay when it’s not? Are you showing up, doing what needs to be done, but crumbling inside?
Friend, I’ve been there. I recently went through something traumatic that shook me deeply, and I realized I couldn’t just keep pushing through.
My “suck it up” broke. And maybe it needed to.
In this very personal episode of Living God’s Way, I’m sharing why I changed my mind about hormones and what God is teaching me about what it really means to be strong.
Because strength isn’t proving how much you can handle. Strength is knowing where your strength comes from.
When Doing Everything “Right” Wasn’t Enough
I didn’t get to this place because I wasn’t taking care of myself.
For six years after menopause, I wasn’t taking hormones. I was lifting weights, eating real food, prioritizing protein, exercising, praying, and getting into God’s Word every day.
Then I walked through something incredibly painful in my personal life, and suddenly all of my normal ways of coping weren’t enough.
I couldn’t out-discipline it.
I couldn’t out-train it.
I couldn’t meal-prep my way out of it.
I could pray. I could get into God’s Word. I could trust Him. And I did. God was the One holding me steady. But I also started realizing that trusting God and taking care of myself weren’t opposing choices.
Maybe asking for help didn’t mean I wasn’t trusting God.
Maybe going to my doctor didn’t mean I lacked faith.
Maybe changing my mind didn’t make me a hypocrite.
Maybe I needed to pay attention to what my body was telling me.
My Suck-It-Up Broke
I think a lot of us, especially Gen X women, were raised to suck it up. Handle it. Keep going. Work harder. Don’t complain. Don’t let anybody see you struggling.
Somewhere along the way, we started confusing being hard with being strong.
Being hard says, I don’t need help.
Strength says, I have the wisdom to know when I need help.
Being hard says, Push through it.
Wisdom says, Pay attention.
Being hard says, My body needs to cooperate with what I demand from it.
Stewardship says, God gave me this body. How can I take care of it well in this season?
And that’s what led me to reconsider hormones.
Why I Changed My Mind About Hormones
I started looking more seriously at what happens to a woman’s body when estrogen and progesterone decline.
I started listening, learning, reading, and asking questions.
And I realized that some of what I believed about hormone therapy was based on an incomplete picture.
Hormone therapy isn’t right for every woman. But I also learned it wasn’t something I needed to automatically fear.
So, with my medical provider, I decided to try hormone therapy again.
I’m still early in this. I’m still learning, paying attention to my body, asking questions, and working with my doctor to determine what is right for me.
But I’m really glad I gave myself permission to reconsider.
Here’s the selfie mentioned in this episode. ⬇
In This Episode
- Why I changed my mind about hormone replacement therapy after six years
- The comment on my gym selfie that makes me laugh now
- How a difficult season affected my sleep and changed my perspective
- Why Gen X women may need to rethink the “suck it up” mentality
- The difference between worldly strength, self-reliance, and godly strength
- What I’m learning about estrogen, progesterone, menopause, and HRT
- Why lifting weights and maintaining muscle matter as we age
- The importance of protein, whole foods, sleep, and caring for your body
- Why asking for help and advocating for your health are not signs of weakness
- What God is teaching me about depending on Him when I don’t feel strong
Important: I’m sharing my personal experience, not giving medical advice. Hormone therapy has benefits and risks that vary by individual. Please talk with a qualified healthcare professional about your symptoms, health history, and whether HRT or other treatment options may be appropriate for you.
And stay tuned because I’ll also be talking with Dr. Tabatha Barber about menopause and hormones so we can go deeper into the medical side of this conversation.
Scriptures
Psalm 46:1 NKJV
“God is our refuge and strength, A very present help in trouble.”
Matthew 11:28 NKJV
“Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.”
2 Corinthians 12:9 NKJV
“My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.”
Proverbs 31:25 NKJV
“Strength and honor are her clothing; She shall rejoice in time to come.”
Psalm 92:14 NKJV
“They shall still bear fruit in old age; They shall be fresh and flourishing.”
Related Episodes
- Menopause for Christian Women: Symptoms, Support, and Solutions – Part 1
- Life Update: Hormones, Birthdays, Milestones, and Jesus at the Center of It All!
- 5 Ways to Feel Like Yourself Again in Menopause
Resources
Fit God’s Way
If you’re ready to stop following the world’s confusing messages about health and learn how to care for your body God’s way, Fit God’s Way will help you put God first, renew your mind, nourish your body, make fitness holy, and build habits that last. Start Here
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God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. – Psalm 46:1
If you’re walking through something hard right now, I want you to know you’re not alone and God is with you in it.
Remember God called you. He chose you, and He set you apart. You are His!
