Have you ever had a moment in time that seems to parallel a previous one?
Tonight I climbed into bed and realized that today was one of those days.
Two years ago today A-squad (my squad) launched from Georgia to Romania. We had endured and victoriously emerged from training camp and with lots of laughs and notes made it from launch to launching.
For several days A & Z-Squad camped out in a church, walked 20 minutes (at least once a day) to Chick-fil-A and Target, consumed varying degrees of tasty-stomach destroying Mexican food, worshiped in ways that set president for our race and sat in on several lectures that I honestly do not remember (they were different that the ones we teach today).
Packs, Chacos and leggings were a common theme everywhere you looked. In every corner of everyroom you would find either messy or perfectly organized p
iles ofbelongings. These belongings represented everything we would own for 11 months. They represented our priorities, interests. By looking at what people were “prepared for” vs. things they did not see a need to stock up for, you could discover a treasure trove of information about squad mates. Some were deemed genius for their packing choices and others were found to be in need of additional supplies, hence many of our Target trips. During the 11 months that we were gone those piles would occur at each of ourministry locations as we claimed precious personal space to unpack our few belongings. Each month the piles looked different as climates and housing conditions changed, and we added to and discarded from the pile we started out with in Gainesville, GA.
No matter how many times you’re told prior to the race that you can purchase most anything over seas, no matter how many times you’re told not to over stress on what you pack, packing becomes such a focus of angst prior to launching. It is an easy area to tangible express the internal back and forth that can occur prior to a trip like The World Race.
Two years ago that was me.
Today I said goodbye to the oh-so-dear to my heart V-Squad. They are incredible, get to know them, read their blogs and please pray for their journey. I adore each one of them and am so unbelievably excited to follow their race and continually fight for them in prayer.
Today was the end of their launch. After 3 full days of incredible equipping from World Race staff, they carried their packs into the lobby and were shuttled in waves to the airport.
While they did not spend their launch in a church sanctuary, while they did not have to wonder around little Mexico for meal options, there are so many things that seem to parallel what I stepped into two years ago today.
Packing angst, desires to hurry up and get on the field, fire and passion over the nations, feelings of being unstoppable and horrible vulnerable intermingling with every other thought, an incredible passion and desire to have intimacy with the Lord. Love for and nerves over your team and their ability to stay unified, sadness and heart tugging over those being left behind and the moments that will be missed, and excitement to be launching into something will undoubtedly change your heart and life.
These are the things that make my job and community so fruitful.
These moments of coming alongside people who blow my mind in the way they lover others and serve the Lord. For the passion and zeal they have to make a difference, even if it is only for one person. They want to look like Jesus, they want others to find freedom and they are willing and ready to get messy to do it.
What parallels are ahead?
I have no idea, I can only hope they are as sweet as todays.
Happy Two Year A & Z !!
