“You’re solid, I am not worried about you at all.” Along with a bear hug, those were the last words a friend spoke over me before embarking on this new chapter of life. Repeatedly, since leaving in January, the words solid, steady, and unwavering keep affirming themselves in my life. My last team defined me as steady and strong. I remember during our first month back in Ecuador a teammate left me a note that said I reminded her of a tree. The note read that I had deep roots that kept me steady and firmly planted, but I knew how to bend with the breeze and not break.
Earlier in the week I had a couple meetings with the team about being secure in who they are. I started it off by asking them a few questions about how they see themselves, and how they think others see them and define them. Before I allowed them to answer we went around the group and each member said how they viewed every other member of the team. It ended up being a cool contrast for them to take hold of.
The one word that every member echoed for me was steady. Other words were strong, confident, leader, constant, truthful, and committed. One of the members said she seen me as a lighthouse. No matter how bad the storm was I could stand and wether it and continue to let my light shine. A second member described me as competent under fire and that she would want me at the front of line if we were going into battle.
I know the Lord has reasons for making me the way He did, but I know me being steady is directly linked to placing my faith in Him. It is a gift He has given me and entrusted me with. It is a gift that has been proven good over and over in my life even from an early age.
The past several months my steadfastness has been tested with many different trials both here and home. I remember getting frustrated at one point and asking God how could He possibly love EVERYBODY. I truly had to pray my way through it in the moment. “As God is long suffering with us, we can and must be long suffering with others (Ephesians 4:30–32), is the verse that came to mind. Can and must, oh those two words. I stopped my complaining right then and chose to love instead.
