Women, We are Built for War.
Anyone with natural hair knows the struggle of wash day, so here I am being forced by thick hair, to sit under the dryer for 2 hours after detangling and twisting, for my Bantu knots to dry. To keep from completely losing my mind I grab a book that I put down months ago. The book is “Without Rival” by Lisa Bevere. Lisa recalled a story about a military officer who asked her did she know why we were losing the war (Afghanistan). She said no and he went on to say that we were losing the war because we could not get to the women of the culture. In order to win the war, they must win the culture. In Afghanistan, the male U.S. soldiers were unable to reach the Afghan women because of cultural barriers.
The U.S. decided to enlist a team of WOMEN to go in to war, not to do what the men do, but to do what the men were unable to.
While the men were in combat, the women were enlisted to impact and change the mindset of the Afghan women. (This was called Team Lioness if you want to do further research). Now I can go on for days about the government and war and the ulterior motives and bs that I see and feel BUT for the sake of this post I will just focus on the metaphor.
Man listen, if the U.S. military understands that women need to fight alongside the men in order to win the war…..we need to understand this in our everyday lives.
At our Diva session last night I asked, “What are some battles that our men are fighting on their own and not winning?” and then also, “How can we come alongside them to help them win this war?” The ladies came up with SPECTACULAR observations and solutions. Can you come up with your own? Really think about it. Women are built for war. We are here to fight. Not each other. But we are here to fight and shift the culture in special ways. Maybe there’s a ministry that men are running on their own but can’t seem to get breakthroughs in the community….can women play their part and help? Maybe you think that men struggle with identity and battle with the standards of this world…can you be a living example that you love them regardless of those standards? Or is it that you see men fighting injustices, child welfare issues, trying to mentor/teach youth, run an outreach, run for a political party, run a record label or street team, plan events, build programs or any mission they have to impact this world. If they are fighting, trying, striving and not getting the results they dream of and long for…how can women come alongside them and multiply their strengths? Divas don’t sit back and complain and cry about not having a place on the mission field. Divas rise up and fight. Divas don’t watch the world burn, they rise up and help put out the fire. Divas don’t allow the words “gentle”, “fragile”, “weak”, “girly”, “incompetent” or “powerless” to define them. Divas uncover their unique strength and use it to reach the people they are called to reach. Divas know that women are built for war and they are ready to enlist in the mission.
