Disclaimer: This blog is about training camp. If you are reading it in hopes that I will give away any training camp secrets then you should set those hopes aside.I ain’t sayin’ nothin’!
And you should trust me when I say that it would ruin your training camp experience if I did.
At training camp the staff likes to play what I like to call World Race mind games – intentionally
unanswered questions, vaguely answered questions, only revealing just enough information
for you to get where you need go at a certain times to do something but you have no idea what…
Play along.
Everything done at training camp is intentional.
No meal, living arrangement, session, or exercise is given to you without forethought.
You will be frustrated.
You will be tired.
You will be hungry.
You may even smell.
And you should trust me when I say that it would ruin your training camp experience if I did.
At training camp the staff likes to play what I like to call World Race mind games – intentionally
unanswered questions, vaguely answered questions, only revealing just enough information
for you to get where you need go at a certain times to do something but you have no idea what…
Play along.
Everything done at training camp is intentional.
No meal, living arrangement, session, or exercise is given to you without forethought.
You will be frustrated.
You will be tired.
You will be hungry.
You may even smell.
Actually, you will smell.
Accept it and find the blessing in being frustrated, tried, hungry, and smelly.
There is a blessing to be found.
I was a lot like you probably are right now before training camp.
I scoured the interwebs for things to be revealed.
You’ve probably read about the fish head soup and bus night by now.
Forget all of that.
Here is what I wish I had really known while preparing:
The staff loves you. They have been to training camp. They get it. Let them pour into you. They really, really, really, want to. They want to call you up to greatness because they know you have it in you. They get high off seeing you go through a spiritual transformation. Invite them in. You can trust them.
Your squad was hand picked for you by God. You might be worried that these people you are going to spend the next 11 months with are going to be horrible. That’s a legitimate fear but they won’t be. You aren’t going to have the bond you have with these people with anyone else. Let your heart be open to them. By day two (possibly day one – the days ran together) my squad was already talking about bowel movements. This is not a requirement but it is fun.
Trust the process. God gave me these words a few nights into training camp. The process you will walk through at training camp will be hard. You’re going to be stretched. Lean into it. As much as you want to resists, lean into it. By the end you will be so glad you did.
Experience training camp. Push yourself to step away from your normal routine while at training camp. You will crave junk food even if you don’t eat it that much. You won’t be doing yourself any favors if you have a 3 week supply of candy bars in your pack. Eat the food your served and make yourself fight through being hungry (side note: you do get fed but it’s not the same as being able to walk to the kitchen anytime you want – just to be clear). You’re probably going to stink. Skipping bonding time with your squad mates to shower every night just isn’t worth it. It’s not.
Pray. Start praying right now God will prepare you for training camp. He has a plan but he needs you to get past yourself and out of your head before it will happen. Pray for an open heart and an open mind. It’s so necessary for the process.
Experience training camp. Push yourself to step away from your normal routine while at training camp. You will crave junk food even if you don’t eat it that much. You won’t be doing yourself any favors if you have a 3 week supply of candy bars in your pack. Eat the food your served and make yourself fight through being hungry (side note: you do get fed but it’s not the same as being able to walk to the kitchen anytime you want – just to be clear). You’re probably going to stink. Skipping bonding time with your squad mates to shower every night just isn’t worth it. It’s not.
Pray. Start praying right now God will prepare you for training camp. He has a plan but he needs you to get past yourself and out of your head before it will happen. Pray for an open heart and an open mind. It’s so necessary for the process.
You will not leave training camp the way you came.
Get ready to come alive.
