This is my team- Kendall (Kenith), Kat (Gato), Kayla (Keke or Fruit loop), me (B), Ansley (Butterfly Barbie) and Abby (Abs). Our team name is Daughters of Zion aka DOZ.
We picked that because we are all women and daughters of God. We chose Zion because our team leader (Gato) really resonated with the strength that the word zion attributed with God. Honestly, I was not happy about being on an all girls team- at first. I haven’t had the greatest history with girls in the past. Throughout elementary, middle and high school I have been bullied by, backstabbed and treated poorly by girls. A little background for those who don’t know me well, I am a huge tomboy, always have been always will be. I grew up with two brothers, a dad, mostly all guy cousins, mostly guy friends, etc. I was involved in every sport and wore basketball shorts with t-shirts everyday. I threw perfect spiral footballs instead of playing Barbies. I have always usually gotten along with guys better. Even now my best friend is a guy. Well he is also my boyfriend but that is another story. Anyways, when we started forming teams at training camp I was set on wanting a coed team. Brothers in Christ are awesome. Little did I know that God had other plans. I was put with these lovely ladies at trying camp and honestly when our names were first called my heart sank. I was disappointed and kind of furious. How could I, Bri, who has always been best friends with guys and the biggest tomboy be on an ALL girls team? I was immediately like what the heck God? Of course, God had other plans. After training camp I still had been wrestling with the idea of being on an all girls team. I am starting the third week of my race today and I thank God everyday for the all girls team that he has put me on. I love these ladies to death and wouldn’t want it any other way. Let me show you how God has completely changed my heart.
Society paints women as this insecure, needy, gossipy, backstabbing, and only used for hot sexy bodies. We are supposed to be emotionally a mess, dependent on a man, show 95% of our body to everyone and be nasty to other girls. God has a much different picture that he paints for women. “So God created them in his own image., in the image if God he created them; male and female he created them.” Genesis 1:27. God created us in his image. We are in his likeness. Each of us is an image bearer of the most high God. I don’t know about you but I think that is PRETTY FREAKING AWESOME. In 1 Peter 3:3-5 it says this about a Godly woman, “Your beauty should not come from outward adornment such as braided hair and the wearing of gold jewelry and fine clothes. Instead it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God’s sight.” I had known these verses before but never experienced this love and community from such Godly women. These ladies have thought me that women and being a woman rocks. Lots of women have the same struggles. Two of my other teammates and I have struggled with this same addictive and poisonous sin in our pasts and we have been able to talk through, come together and heal with each other. Another of my teammates also has a boyfriend and we are able to cuddle up together and cry on nights when the distance is just a little too much. We are able to have dance parties in our underwear and celebrate the way that God made each of our bodies different but ALL wonderfully. We are all able to be completely vulnerable about the hardest parts of each of our lives and be fully accepted and loved. We do just girly things and take super cute pictures everywhere we go and love every minute of looking like the whitest people ever. We are able to resolve the hardest conflicts with tears, forgiveness and pure hearts only because of Christ. We are able to all jump on each other and cuddle with 6 of us on a 2 person couch. We get to share clothes and tell each other how hot we look. Before I had always been glad that I didn’t have a sister- well now I have 6 that I am constantly living and doing life with and I couldn’t be more content. Each of these amazing ladies has a pure heart of God and a beautiful soul and I beyond thankful for this all girls team that God put me on. Only two weeks into the race and I have learned it’s okay to love sports and t-shirts but also love being a Godly woman. I have learned that it is okay to embrace feelings, tears and just girly things that society had been telling me was not okay. God created me. He loves me. God created women as the most beautiful creation. He saw that it was good. He saw that we were good. He loves women. He loves the emotions, super cute pics, vulnerability, sisterhood, dresses, nail polish, cuddle sheshs and beauty. God may have not created me the girliest girly girl like some of my teammates, S/O Ansley, but he made me a God fearing woman who still loves sports and t-shirts but also deeply loves the amazing sisterhood of sisters in Christ. Don’t get me wrong brothers in Christ are pretty dope too but there is just something special about Godly women and when they get together Satan better be shaking because we a Godly force to be reckoned with. Society you are missing out. You should get your definition of real women checked and check out some Godly women to see some real rockstars. Going on week 3 of the race and my team is staying put in Antigua and serving in ministry here. Prayer requests would include our health. Many of us have gotten sick/are sick. Thank you for the prayers and support!!! Until next time feel free to check out my super rad Facebook album of the race so far!!! Here’s the link!
https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.883123701793294.1073741846.100002870166186&type=3
Expecting Great Things in God,
Bri Stump (:
