Rooted Together: How resilience forms character and hope

At See Hear Love’s International Women’s Day gathering, more than 200 women discovered how resilience takes root through faith, community, and the steady work of God.

Years ago, I stood in a long line at a church, waiting to meet someone who had inspired my interest in media and broadcasting. When I finally reached her, I asked – probably a little nervously – if I could take her to lunch and learn from her. I handed Lorna Dueck my card and hoped she would say yes. 

She did. 

That lunch turned into a relationship. Years later, during one of the hardest seasons of my life, Lorna reached out and invited me into an opportunity I never would have asked for on my own. 

I’ve come to see that moments like that matter more than we realize. Resilience doesn’t usually show up as strength first. It often begins with connection. Someone who sees you. Someone who makes space. Someone who opens a door. 

At See Hear Love, that’s been our heart from the beginning – that women would know they are seen, heard, and deeply loved by God. Now in Season 11, and produced by Crossroads, the ministry behind Canada’s longest-running talk show, 100 Huntley Street, with nearly 65 years of sharing hope, we’re still telling those stories. 

Over the past year, two words kept coming up in our conversations with women across the country: belonging and resilience. And the more we listened, the more it became clear – those two things are connected. 

On March 6, more than 200 women and faith leaders gathered at Crossroads Unity Commons in Burlington, Ontario for our third annual International Women’s Day event, Wonder of Resilience. It was a full room. Different ages, different stories, different stages of life. And yet there was a shared sense of, “I’m not the only one.” 

We spent time in Romans 5:3-4, where Paul writes that "suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope." Not as abstract ideas, but as something formed over time. 

Sue Wigston, executive vice president at Eagles Flight, spoke about the moment when life doesn’t match what you thought it would be. Caring for her father with Alzheimer’s brought her to a place she couldn’t manage or fix. 

“The freedom to say, ‘I can’t,’” she said, “and the response from God was, ‘Finally.’” 

Jennifer Lau, executive director of Canadian Baptist Ministries, shared her own story. As the first woman to lead the organization in its more than 150-year history, she stepped into something that didn’t come with a clear roadmap. Those early months weren’t easy. She didn’t quite fit, and it showed. But over time, something began to form – not just confidence, but endurance. Experiences like her time in Kenya, where she witnessed the steady faith of women in the midst of the HIV crisis, deepened that understanding. 

Caroline Riseboro, president and CEO of Trillium Health Partners, spoke about what happens when pressure reveals who you really are. At 34, she stepped into a senior role and quickly learned that not everyone would be for her. 

“A calling without godly character isn’t a calling,” she said. “It’s ego dressed up as purpose.” 

By the end of the afternoon, one image stayed with me. Anne Miranda shared how forests in British Columbia withstand storms because their roots are intertwined beneath the surface. 

That feels like what we’re trying to build. 

Because most of us aren’t looking to be strong on our own. We’re looking for something steady to hold onto – and people to stand with. 

And in many ways, that story goes back to the resurrection. When Jesus rose from the grave, women were the first to see Him alive and carry the news. They were trusted with it. Sent with it. 

That same hope is still being carried today. 

Not perfectly. Not all at once. But together. 

See Hear Love airs on YES TV Mondays at 9:30 a.m. and 9:30 p.m.