๐๐๐๐จ๐ซ๐ Y๐จ๐ฎ B๐ฎ๐ข๐ฅ๐ A๐ง๐จ๐ญ๐ก๐๐ซ V๐ข๐ฌ๐ข๐จ๐ง, A๐ฌ๐ค Y๐จ๐ฎ๐ซ๐ฌ๐๐ฅ๐ T๐ก๐ข๐ฌ...
- Tina Smith
- Mar 31
- 3 min read
Before you finalize another plan for 2026, I want to speak to the woman who knows how to build, but is beginning to wonder whether she is truly covered and protected in the places where she leads.
You are charting the year ahead with prayerful intention, naming goals, holding vision, and shaping a blueprint that genuinely excites you. I see you carrying the weight of many responsibilities at once: the lists at home, the leadership you steward, and the people who depend on your clarity and strength. You are capable and disciplined, and you have developed many qualities that reflect faithfulness and perseverance. There are objective metrics in your life.
As this new year draws near, I want to invite you into a deeper question, one that sits beneath goals, systems, and vision.
๐๐ซ๐ ๐ฒ๐จ๐ฎ ๐๐จ๐ฏ๐๐ซ๐๐ ๐๐ง๐ ๐ฉ๐ซ๐จ๐ญ๐๐๐ญ๐๐ ๐ข๐ง ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐ฉ๐ฅ๐๐๐๐ฌ ๐ฐ๐ก๐๐ซ๐ ๐ฒ๐จ๐ฎ ๐๐ซ๐ ๐๐ฎ๐ข๐ฅ๐๐ข๐ง๐ ?
What I am speaking to is the way God covers us in the natural so that what He has entrusted to us is not carried in isolation. You may be unprotected in the environments where you lead, serve, and hold responsibility. When this distinction is unclear, we can unintentionally spiritualize what is, in fact, a relational and structural issue.
I know this because I lived it.
๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ฆ๐ ๐๐๐ฉ๐๐๐ฅ๐ ๐ฅ๐จ๐ง๐ ๐๐๐๐จ๐ซ๐ ๐ ๐ฐ๐๐ฌ ๐ฉ๐ซ๐จ๐ญ๐๐๐ญ๐๐.
I was deeply committed to God, clear in my calling, and able to see systems and solutions early on. When parts of my life felt heavy or unsupported, I compensated by working harder, building faster, and pouring myself into meaningful work. It looked faithful on the outside, but internally it was costly.
When I speak about covering, I am not speaking abstractly.
๐๐ก๐๐ซ๐ ๐๐ซ๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐ซ๐๐ ๐ฉ๐ซ๐ข๐ฆ๐๐ซ๐ฒ ๐ฉ๐ฅ๐๐๐๐ฌ ๐ฐ๐ก๐๐ซ๐ ๐ฉ๐ซ๐จ๐ญ๐๐๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง ๐ฆ๐ฎ๐ฌ๐ญ ๐๐ฑ๐ข๐ฌ๐ญ ๐๐จ๐ซ ๐ฒ๐จ๐ฎ ๐๐ฌ ๐ฒ๐จ๐ฎ ๐ฅ๐๐๐.
The first is the place of your closest relational covering, whether that is marriage or the season of singleness you are stewarding, because the relationships closest to your heart will either create safety and rest or will slowly erode your self-confidence and worth leaving you vulnerable.
The second is that spiritual covering must be a place of safety, where public promotion is matched by private protection rather than control or diminishment. Actual covering supports growth, offers guidance and correction without humiliation, and remains committed to the well-being of the person, not just the outcome of their leadership.
The third is the alignments you form within your work and leadership, the teams, boards, and partnerships that shape how safely you can lead, either honouring both your authority and your humanity, or slowly eroding one in order to preserve the other.
๐๐ก๐๐ฌ๐ ๐๐จ๐ซ๐ฆ๐ฌ ๐จ๐ ๐๐จ๐ฏ๐๐ซ๐ข๐ง๐ ๐๐ซ๐ ๐ง๐จ๐ญ ๐ข๐ง๐ญ๐๐ซ๐๐ก๐๐ง๐ ๐๐๐๐ฅ๐.
When one becomes unstable, the strain often shows up in the way you build, the pace you maintain, and the cost you quietly absorb. You become vulnerable, and there is a cost.
๐๐จ๐ฏ๐๐ซ๐ข๐ง๐ ๐ฆ๐๐ญ๐ญ๐๐ซ๐ฌ ๐๐๐๐๐ฎ๐ฌ๐ ๐ฐ๐ข๐ญ๐ก๐จ๐ฎ๐ญ ๐ข๐ญ ๐๐ฏ๐๐ง ๐ ๐จ๐จ๐ ๐ฌ๐ฒ๐ฌ๐ญ๐๐ฆ๐ฌ ๐๐๐ง ๐๐ซ๐๐๐ญ๐ฎ๐ซ๐, ๐๐ง๐ ๐ฅ๐๐๐๐๐ซ๐ฌ ๐จ๐๐ญ๐๐ง ๐๐๐ ๐ข๐ง ๐ญ๐จ ๐๐๐ซ๐ซ๐ฒ ๐ฆ๐จ๐ซ๐ ๐ฐ๐๐ข๐ ๐ก๐ญ ๐ญ๐ก๐๐ง ๐ญ๐ก๐๐ฒ ๐ฐ๐๐ซ๐ ๐๐๐ฌ๐ข๐ ๐ง๐๐ ๐ญ๐จ ๐ก๐จ๐ฅ๐, ๐ฅ๐๐๐๐ข๐ง๐ ๐ญ๐จ ๐๐ฎ๐ซ๐ง๐จ๐ฎ๐ญ, ๐๐ซ๐๐๐ค๐๐จ๐ฐ๐ง, ๐จ๐ซ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐ฌ๐ฅ๐จ๐ฐ ๐๐ซ๐จ๐ฌ๐ข๐จ๐ง ๐จ๐ ๐๐ฅ๐๐ซ๐ข๐ญ๐ฒ, ๐ก๐๐๐ฅ๐ญ๐ก, ๐๐ง๐ ๐ฃ๐จ๐ฒ.
Your systems, visions, and goals will always reflect the strengths or weaknesses of what lies beneath them. If you find yourself rushing ahead, pouring all your energy into outcomes while your heart quietly knows that areas of protection feel unsteady, perhaps 2026 is not calling you to do more, but to tend to what holds everything in place. It is slowing down to fix what is keeping you and your leadership.
๐๐จ๐ฎ ๐๐ซ๐ ๐ง๐จ๐ญ ๐ฅ๐๐๐ค๐ข๐ง๐ ๐๐๐ข๐ญ๐ก. ๐๐จ๐ฎ ๐๐ซ๐ ๐๐๐ข๐ง๐ ๐ข๐ง๐ฏ๐ข๐ญ๐๐ ๐ข๐ง๐ญ๐จ ๐ฐ๐ข๐ฌ๐๐จ๐ฆ.
TheraCoaching Invitation
If this reflection resonates and you feel the need to identify where coverage may be thin or absent, you don't have to go through this alone. I walk with women leaders who desire to build from a place of rest, protection, and clarity, ensuring that what God is calling them to steward is supported in both the spiritual and practical sense. Your calling is sacred, and it deserves to be carried within safe and strengthening structures. Join my community for continual support.
Tina Smith
Author | Mentor | Supervisor | Mediator-in-Training | International Coach | Director | Founder of Selah Treatment Center
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