Since January 5th I haven't been alone – there has always been someone within a few feet of me or right outside my tent. Together we left our comforts & began an unknown journey.
A journey that looks like..
– living out of a 60 liter bag
– taking bucket showers
– nights of getting eaten alive by Mosquitos
-meals with questionable food
– travel days that you expected to be 12 hours but turned into 32 hours
– bible studies that turn into intense discussion & cause you to walk away questioning your faith
– living in super tight quarters, with
six people + all their belongings in a room smaller than your bedroom back home
– sharing a bathroom with 40 other people, who sometimes seem to have never used a real bathroom before
– dirty laundry for days
Before coming on the race I almost made it a fantasy, like there wouldn't be hard moments. It was going to be 11 months of pure joy – then reality set in, the race is still REAL LIFE.
As you can see from my list above it's still easy to become frustrated with the people around you, arguments happen, rude things are said to you, you lose it some moments, etc.
Then begins the triangle game. John becomes offended with Luke. John goes to Tom to complain about Luke – all the while Luke has no idea John is upset. Tom listens to John because they are close friends & that's what close friends do, right? But then Luke, in passing,
tells Tom about the conflict that happened as well. Suddenly Tom now has two people going to him telling him about a conflict that has nothing to do with himself.
Suddenly a few things happen..
– Tom now looks at Luke differently & has now built walls up towards him
– Tom now doesn't trust John completely. He wonders if John will ever talk about him behind his back.
– Tom is giving both Luke & John the comfort & validation they are seeking in knowing they were wronged.
– All the while the conflict has not been resolved. When Luke and John are together they act as if nothing ever happened.
This is a lesson The Lord has been teaching me – not to carry my offenses to others. When living with 40 other people it's SO easy to play the triangle game. There have been times where I allowed pride to creep in that made me believe I shouldn't be the one to apologize or confront. So while waiting for my apology I would go to someone and rant. If this is done by multiple people within a squad it can spread like wildfire & suddenly you have a squad that's unhealthy & dislikes one another.
The bible is very clear on how important it is to deal with conflict directly with the one who upset you.
If your brother sins against you. Go and show him his fault, just between the two of you. – Matthew 18:15
He who rebukes a man will in the end gain more favor than he who has a flattering tongue. – Proverbs 28:23
Rumors are dainty morsels that sink deep into ones heart. Proverbs 18:8
It's truly about honoring those around you. So family, friends, strangers, squad members – can I challenge you to not play the triangle game? Nothing good can come from it. After all two's company & three's a crowd.
