One of the many things I walked through this year was learning and embracing who I am.
God put me around an incredible community this year. Words cannot even describe how ridiculously amazing they are. My teammates fought like hell for me. They saw things in me that I couldn’t see in myself. They spoke truth over me, called things out of me, and saw me the way God sees me- even in the times I was just plain ugly.
The World Race is definitely about loving others, a life abandoned to the heart of the Father, and bringing Kingdom, but it is so much more than a typical Christian mission trip. It is so much more than traveling to 11 countries in 11 months.
You see, it wasn’t just about ministering to the orphaned, widowed, chained, or oppressed; it was about ministering to each other. This year I learned about authentic relationship, and God’s deep passion He has for the Body to be in community with one another.
I went on the World Race wanting to see lives around me change (and I did), but the reality is, my life has changed.
God put me around an incredible community this year. Words cannot even describe how ridiculously amazing they are. My teammates fought like hell for me. They saw things in me that I couldn’t see in myself. They spoke truth over me, called things out of me, and saw me the way God sees me- even in the times I was just plain ugly.We learned about covenant from our amazing leadership, and L squad fought to be the Church that God so desperately desires: speaking life, edifying, challenging, serving, and loving the crap out of each other… and living by these principles, even when we didn’t feel like it.
This lifestyle is truly what Kingdom is all about.
Honestly, this change in me was not an overnight process. It was quite the journey to get to a place of loving myself and embracing the areas that some would call awkward, weird, or flat-out annoying. For so many years I compromised who I truly am because I so badly wanted to be accepted. I so badly wanted people to like me.
This year was about discovering who I am, and truly embracing who she is. I can declare with confidence that I am finally at a place of staying true to who I really am, regardless of being in fear that I will be misunderstood.
I have finished the race knowing and believing truth, and the majority of the reason being this amazing family that stopped at nothing to see me walk out in freedom.
The truth is:
There is always going to be women who are prettier than myself.
There is always going to be people who prefer others over me.
There is always going to be someone smarter than I am.
There is always going to be someone who is funnier.
There is always going to be someone more creative.
I am confident in saying this out loud because these things no longer bother me.
I know who I am.
I have discovered this woman who is bold; who is a warrior; who is confident; who is worthy; who is capable; who is a leader; who is creative, beautiful, and smart.
This woman is me, and now, nothing can get in my way!
Thank you to all those who fought for me, and stopped at nothing for me to walk out in FREEDOM. My life is forever changed because of you.
