Coming on this Race, I was excited to get closer to God. I knew that I would have plenty of time to spend in his Word and really focus on who I am in Christ. The challenge: actually sitting down and spending time with him during that free time. Since I am an extrovert I will always choose social time over alone time with Jesus. During team time last night, we went around and asked for our sisters to keep us accountable in an area of our lives. I have been on the race for 19 days now…I’ve tried several times to sit down and read the bible but I always get distracted…I always find something better to do, sometimes my bible stays in the same place for days. There are so many things to learn, so many books to read…where do I even start? One day, I was flipping through the pages struggling to land I asked a squad mate that was close; what’s your favorite book of the bible? He said Job and I started reading. I made it through the first chapter a couple weeks ago and didn’t read it again till this morning.
Job 2:11-13
11 Now when Job’s three friends—Eliphaz the Temanite, Bildad the Shuhite, and Zophar the Naamathite—heard about all this adversity that had happened to him, each of them came from his home. They met together to go and sympathize with him and comfort him. 12 When they looked from a distance, they could barely recognize him. They wept aloud, and each man tore his robe and threw dust into the air and on his head. 13 Then they sat on the ground with him seven days and nights, but no one spoke a word to him because they saw that his suffering was very intense.
The back story here is how Satan took everything away from Job. His children, his livestock, his home, his servants, and struck him with boils all over his body…Job still continued to praise God.
When his 3 friends heard about his suffering, they came just to be with him and mourn with him. They didn’t have to say anything…they were in tune with how Job was feeling. They knew there was nothing they could say to him but just being there was support enough.
I want to have this kind of friendship. I want to live in this type of community. If I am only focusing on myself and how I am feeling, not looking to see how those around me are feeling I am keeping myself from being a good friend. I want to suffer with those around me who are suffering, and I want to be vulnerable so that they can suffer with me.
This is what community looks like to me. Being totally open, bold, and vulnerable. This is my prayer for today.
What has God been teaching you this week? It’s my favorite thing to talk about. Please, comment or email me an answer…I want to do life with you, even though I’m not there in person, we can still do life together.
Love you all. Every last one of you.
