Once a week I take off my business owner clothes and lace up my soccer cleats. The roles are not that much different for me. In each role I have to fight and hold my own. In each role I'm frequently the only girl in the pack. In each role I have to prove myself.
I am so very competitive and so very aware that women in powerful roles have to prove themselves worthy of standing on their own. Worthy of running with the boys. There is a smaller percentage of women business owners in the world. We are small but fierce. On or off the field I am a fierce competitor.
There have been times in our history where being a strong woman was frowned upon. There were times in our history where strong women were almost too vocal. I believe there can and needs to be a great balance here. Did you know that the ministry of Jesus included women which was mind blowing for the time that he walked this earth? Strong, bold, fierce women are all over the ministry of Jesus, and in fact all over the Bible.
Last week, I had someone tell me "it's just business, there's no emotion here, it's just business" I called my friend Mendy, frustrated with myself. Frustrated because I try really hard to run with the guys in business. I don't want to ever be viewed as lacking or weaker. This interaction made me feel lacking and weaker but my homegirl Mendy (another female entrepreneur) reminded me of the beauty in women business owners. How God uses his creation in women to do great things.
May I remind you of Deborah in the Bible (2 Kings) and Mary (mother of Jesus) Rehab (prostitute who played an amazing role in the Bible and the story of Jesus) ya'll the list goes on and on. We are useful. We are important. God can and does use us to his glory.
Each Thursday I join a group of guys out on a field to play a sport that helped mold me into the fierce woman that I am today. I am the only girl that plays. I fight hard. I hate loosing the ball and they know I will fight hard to get it back. I am competitive and I play hard. I play like myself, not like them. Who I am as a player is uniquely different than who they are as players. Men play differently in soccer and in life. God made us uniquely different. I am happy and thankful today that I play like a girl. I am happy blessed and thankful that God molded me into the amazing women of faith and grace that I am today. I may not play perfectly, I may play with intense passion. However, today I stand in front of you a mom of 3 boys, a loving wife, business owner to a rapidly growing business, woman of faith and leader in ministry that says, play like a girl and love it. God uses his women for some pretty great things! Teach your girls to play like a girl too. To fight fiercely. To stand boldly. To be unique. To be an individual. To be a sister loved by God. He loves his girls and uses them often to make advances in his kingdom. Go boldly and bravely towards him, he will show you how to fight. Girls, he has made you FEARFULLY and WONDERFULLY in his perfect loving image.
Never forget that you are a daughter to the one true king if nothing else today, stand tall and firm in that and teach your girls to do the same. To play like a girl...
Much Love,
Chrystan
