It excites me knowing that Training Camp is just a little over two weeks away for the July 2013 routes.
I have a close friend, Howie Henry, launching in July and I skyped with him a few days ago. Just before our call ended he asked, “So… training camp, what should I be expecting?”
I laughed and replied, “Expect nothing and expect everything”.
I think back to last October and how I was gearing up for my own training camp. I was stalking people’s blogs and getting my hands on any information I could to get an idea of what this week of training would look like.
Details could NOT be found! And trust me, being a professional facebook stalker, if there were details out there I would find them.
But no! no specifics, no juicy stories, nothing! Just a common theme amongst the advice I found:
They were talking to a “5 year planner” from birth. Having no expectations wasn’t just a huge ask for me it was borderline impossible.
But sitting here now entering my 5th month on the race I found myself giving the same exact advice and realizing how important those words are.
Not just for training camp, but your WHOLE World Race experience.
So, I’d like to contribute 5 simple tips about setting expectations for training camp, well knowing that this very blog and all it’s ambiguity would’ve driven me crazy 7 months ago had I come across it, but here it goes.
don’t try and over-prepare your heart, soul or mind in any other way.
Just arrive at training camp open and ready to receive anything that might come your way.
Don’t overthink the questions asked to you by your leaders… just answer honestly.
Of course we can come up with what we think they want to hear,
but that will do them, you and your future team no good.
Don’t wait on the perfect timing or ideal circumstance to engage.
Whether that be with starting a conversation with a new squad mate
or opening up in worship before the first strum of the guitar.
Show up and engage in every moment.
Tip #2: Expect nothing.
Just don’t do it. It won’t help you… trust me! Knowing won’t give you an advantage.
You are signing up for a year of laying down your control, why wait til July to start?
Let go of your expectations… it’s going to be ok.
Inevitably, when we lay down our control and surrender our comforts, God shows up.
And he doesn’t just show up, He shows off, in ways that you couldn’t have ever imagined. Even if I had told you exactly what the worship would be like or my own detailed personal experiences of training camp, it would do you no good. God is brilliantly creative and just the way he designed each of us unique in our own way, He uniquely works within us.
I can promise you, without a doubt, if you show up to the first day of training camp with your backpack on, heart open and carrying no extra weight of expectations that God will look down on you… smile and say, “let’s do this”.
You all will be in my prayers and I cannot wait to read the post-training camp blogs of the way God moved within each of you.
Racing,
Jolene Campbell
#NSquad, January 2013
Currently in Ukraine, Month 5
