For they disciplined us for a short time as it seemed best to them, but he disciplines us for our good, that we may share his holiness. For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it. Hebrews 12:10-11
Have you ever felt like so much has happened in one week that a whole month could have gone by? This is exactly the feeling I have after training camp week. I had huge expectations for training camp. Some were met, some never turned out the way I had planned and others were far exceeded. There are things that happened this week that I will share better in other blogs but here is a little recap.
This week I met some of the greatest friends and most beautiful people. I saw healing take place physically and emotionally. I cried, laughed, sang, danced, and experienced prayer like never before. I felt pain, happiness, peace, hurt, grief, love and excitement. I slept on the ground, in a tent, on a bus and heard every type of strange animal noise and snore. I was able to let go of things that I carried around with me from my past and shake off the insecurities that would hold me back from pursuing the future.
Halfway through the week I injured my hip and my spirit instantly took a beating more than anything. But what I though would disable me in the end turned out to bring me so much healing. The people I had only known for 4 days instantly became mu family. I can't really explain what happened in that moment but when you have 60 brothers and sisters praying for you, holding you and crying with you, something will break. In that moment I felt weight lifted off of me and I have never experienced a love so pure and beautiful in my entire life !
We also found out our teams and were able to choose our team names. It is my privilege to introduce to you team Metamorphosis. The members are myself, Brittany Latray, Haleigh Moore, Shanda Lee Best, Kristen Bennett, Sophia Nalty, and Charlyn Valencia. These women are such amazing people with beautiful hearts and I can't wait to write more about them and our team!
Thank you to all of our team leaders and mentors who prayerfully and lovingly put these teams together.
Once of the biggest growing points and exciting challenges of this week was accepting the call to me team leader for my awesome team and serve in a leadership position for them this year. Every part of me wanted to say no because of what my insecurities were telling me.
" you're only 20. No one will take what you say seriously.You're not serious enough to make mature decisions. Your people pleasing will create problems and this won't help you grown only stress you out "
When it came time to say yes I had this verse come to me. It is right before David goes up against Goliath.
But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not look on his appearance or on the height of his stature, because I have rejected him. For the Lord sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart.” 1 Samuel 16:7
I knew that if I didn't stretch myself this year, feel uncomfortable at times, step up when needed, and serve when every moment demands it, that I would never see growth or change.
Thank you team mentors, follow team leaders, team Metamorphosis and S squad for being such an encouragement to me this week! For allowing me to be vulnerable, open and emotional. Thank you for letting me into your lives and hearts and for allowing me to be a part of a unifying process that is so much bigger than all of us:)
Thank you so everyone who has been supporting me through this journey. You were the reason this week was possible and are the reason I will be able to fly to Honduras this July with my new found family !
Love you guys:) God Bless
