Seasons don’t exist out here in the wide world like they do in the States. There’s no such thing as ‘snow’ in Vietnam. Leaves don’t change colors. The ‘fall crisp’, it never comes. Out here we have rainy season. This is generally marked by an unbearable amount of wetness and discomfort. Not many things happen in rainy season. The tourism industry dies down, shops close early, the streets are dead at night, and a gray haze sinks in to the city on a fairly regular basis. There are only two rules to rainy season:
2) It will leak in your hotel only in places over which you have kept all your belongings, or places in which you sleep. There will be no known source for this leaking, and by all means it won’t make any sense.
But really, it’s not so bad. The rain is irregular, and there is sun at times. We’ve had a couple great days on the beach, and even some great adventures / stories to come out of the rain (40 mile bike ride to Hoi An? Hello monsoon.) I’m not gonna lie, the prospect of a year without a major winter exhilarated me in every way. It’s not so much that I don’t like the cold, as I just can’t understand why anyone would ever want to feel that on their body. And I always got a lot of grief for it at school, “You’re from Chicaaaago, shouldn’t you be used to this??” “Yeah, well, I complain about it there too!”
All this to say, there was one thing I thought I’d escaped, and one thing I thought I’d at least be prepared for if it happened: seasonal changes.
God works in seasons. He puts people in your life for a season, and then maybe He takes them away. He puts you in a place for a season, with a set objective, with a specific group of people, with specific lessons to be learned and things to teach you, for a season, and then He moves you right along when He deems it time.
This first chapter of the race, these first 3 months, have been one of the greatest, most fulfilling, challenging, wonderful seasons of my life. I have come to know God in an entirely new way. He has redefined my perspective on identity, ministry, the Spirit, character, sanctification, qualification, glorification, prayer, intercession, interaction, submission, obedience, faith, encouragement, community… dang, practically everything. But there’s a change in the air, and I can feel the season shifting, and I know better now than to try and hold on to what He’s ready to move me on from.
The first time I really had any concept of season, was at training camp. Team Braveheart had just been formed, and the 7 of us, with Ryan, not Samson, went out to dinner on the town that night. We had our first ever feedback session that night, lasting well over an hour, before we were ever told we were supposed to have one. Why? Because we were a mess. The next day, team Braveheart moved forward in a whole new way, the trials of the night before having already drawn us closer. But within 28 hours of team Braveheart being formed, we had our first team change. Ryan was moved to Team Joyful Feet, and Samson joined our team, to the general confusion and complete surprise of everyone.
There’s been a lot of speculation as to why, but in the end it couldn’t be clearer. I look back on that 28 hours with a certain fondness, sure, but that in no way compares to the thankfulness I have that Samson has been my brother alongside me for the last 3 months. I can’t imagine our team without him – no one can. And for whatever reasons God chose to make the switch, it is so clear that this was always the way it was supposed to be.
I remember how poorly I handled things that night, how much the team change completely shook me up. I remember how indignant I was, that our team was already set – how could they do that to us, switch it up on us when we had already seen such intense growth!? What were they playing at?? What was God doing!?
I look back on that time with a warm sense of affection at the lessons I learned, just overnight, and how much more I trust God now in His plan and His provision, than I did then. I look back and remember the pain of that transition, the gracelessness with which I fumbled for stability, for order, for firm footing. That season lasted 28 hours, but it was one of the most important seasons in my life thus far. I now KNOW, beyond any shadow of a doubt, that God knows exactly what we need, and He will be exactly precise in giving it to us, exactly when we need it.
That was the last time I’ll ever be surprised by the coming and going of a season. That was the last time I’ll ever let myself be taken by surprise, caught unprepared for the infinite goodness of the lessons God has to teach us in His timing.
So we approach month 4 with little but the promise that we should “expect big team changes”. But we’ve known this and we’ve felt it since we got here. And we’re somehow ready this time, because God’s given us eyes to see it – that these last three months with Team Braveheart was everything we ever needed at this point in our life. And whatever God has to teach us next month, wherever He takes us, whoever He has us with, not a single one of us will doubt Him ever again.
Truthfully, I don’t know what next month looks like. Maybe He has the seven of us together again, or maybe all of us except one, or maybe I’ll be that one who’s taken elsewhere, or we’ll all be split up to other teams. But in the end, none of that matters, because God is our rock, not Team Braveheart. And I have been reminded again and again that He knows just what I need when I need it, way better than I do. So I’m gonna make the most of this last week, and with everything I have pour into my team, whom He’s gifted me this last week, and enjoy every last second I have with them in this season. Laura, Thomas, Caitlin, Cindi, Samson, Sheri… I thank God for each one of you every day. You mean more to me than you will ever know, except I think you do know. I love you with everything He’s given me, and I cannot wait to face this next season with you, from what He’s brought us through to wherever He’s taking us, wherever we might be in relation to each other. I'm only ready for next season because of what you've been to me, and I wouldn't trade what we've been through for the world. You will never not be my family.
That being said, God, thank you for this season… and thank you for the next one. It doesn’t matter because we trust you.
Love,
Danny
Team Braveheart dressing up on Halloween as… each other
