Shakera trotman-

Shakera Trotman-Chase is the wife of Apostle Leon Chase, mother, entrepreneur, women’s president, founder of The Prayer EmpowHerment Move, and motivational speaker.

Apostle and I have been married for 11 years and have been pastoring together for the past 8 years. My journey has been a bittersweet one; bittersweet in the sense that when I started my journey, I was young and I loved God with my everything. But at that stage of my life, I was just experiencing God for myself. I was told He is good, and he could do great things, but I needed to experience His goodness for myself. I always knew I had a calling on my life, but I didn't feel like I was qualified. I battled a lot initially with the opinions of man; what people thought of me, in terms of not having a title, my attire, not attending a Theology school, being pregnant while in church, and the big one—'Would I be accepted for who I was?'

Most of it stemmed from who I was as an individual; shy, quiet, conservative etc. One of my daily cries at that time was, "Why me?" And God responded, "Why not you?" And over the years, I have seen God mold and transform me into the woman that I am today —relentless, resilient, and resourceful.

Juggling the various roles in my life has not been easy, but I can say God has truly placed a grace on my life that helps to make the load easier. Many times, I have felt like throwing in the towel, but I remained rooted and grounded in God’s Word which helped me to bounce back.'

Some of the challenges I faced as a wife in ministry was dealing with criticisms of my husband.

My husband loves wholeheartedly, so to hear distasteful things being said from people he helped, made me cringe, but I have learned to fight my battles on my knees. In trusting others, I have learned that people show a good face and talk a good game but their actions might not always align with their words.

Some of the pros of being a wife in ministry are networking, being able to connect with other godly women and form great relationships. Others include mentoring people, motivating others, and being able to influence and impact lives in a positive way. Some cons of being a wife in ministry are experiencing emotional and physical burnout. Ministry time does not just begin and end on Sunday for me, as some may believe. Managing our home, being a counselor and comforter to people who come for counsel, even in my weakest times can be overwhelming at times. Making countless sacrifices, giving up date nights, family nights, and having sleepless nights to ensure that God’s people are taken care of. Being in the spotlight, and constantly being monitored can be stressful; even with some of the simplest things that you are judged you on. Giving so freely of myself to assist others and then having to go through betrayal and disappointment.

My message to women on this International Women's Day is Women, Let’s Arise! #WomanUp. God’s blueprint for your life is far greater than any label society has placed on you.

My greatest reward and one of the greatest joys of being a Wife in Ministry is being a part of the spiritual growth of others. Women’s ministry has always been my passion, and seeing women thrive, empowered, and edified truly warms my heart. Knowing that I can impact the lives of others by helping women discover and walk in their purpose has and will always make the trials and countless sacrifices worth it.