Live Together or Die Alone Part 2

In Part 1, I talked about our need for community, and about my realization that sometimes my biggest obstacle to enjoying community is myself.

Once I had this realization, I had another.  When I removed my own blockage related to community (insecurities), my desire changed from wanting to be loved and accepted to wanting to love and accept.  I felt such an overflow coming into me, that it was almost a knee jerk reaction to want to spread it around.

One of the beautiful things about Training Camp, and World Race culture in general, is that there is a huge emphasis on speaking life into one another.  A few weeks ago, my friend Caitlin (a WR Alumni) spoke at a women's night at our church.  It was a fantastic message, and the extremely simplified version is that as Christ followers, the Holy Spirit lives inside of us.  When God speaks, there is life (Genesis 1).  Therefore, when we speak, we should speak life.  Unfortunately, we often speak death over people.

Sounds harsh, right?

Let me be real with you for a second.  I often tease Josh that he does life at a slower pace than everyone else.  He's just a really laid back guy.  However, in early college, he was fired from working at KFC because he "wasn't fast enough".  There have been other situations where this character trait has been turned against him as a flaw. 

A few years ago, we had a fight about something that neither one of us can remember what it was about.  All I remember was that I was frustrated with him for not doing something the way I would have done it or as fast as I would have done it.  In the heat of the moment, I let slip the "L" word-lazy.

Josh instantly shut down.  I could tell I hurt him deeply.  I wanted to take it back as soon as it was said, but of course that was impossible.

For months after, whenever he felt that he wasn't doing something good enough, he heard the "Jenny Voice" in his head, saying that he wasn't doing things right, wasn't good enough, that he was a failure.  Which of course I would NEVER say these things to him, but in being careless with my words, I started the chain reaction of lies that he sometimes still struggles with.  I spoke death over him.

What power our words hold. 

But what I learned at Training Camp, was that our words can also have the opposite effect.

We can speak LIFE over people. 

I had the opportunity to do this several times at camp, and let me tell you, it is kind of addicting.

One time that stands out to me is somewhere near the middle of the week at Training Camp (the days all run together in my memory), the women were sitting on the floor during mealtime.  It was Africa day, and the women served the men, and then sat on the floor to eat our own meals (this sounds archaic to our society, but throughout the week, it was like a ping pong game of the men serving the women, women serving the men, to show our appreciation for one another.  It was like we were trying to one up each other, haha.  But that's a blog for another day).  One of my squadmates and I were talking, and she expressed to me the feeling that she was going to be asked to be a team leader, and that she was unsure of her ability to do so effectively.  I don't remember exactly what words I said to her, but the gist of it was that I could see a spark in her, that she would do a great job, and the beauty of being asked to be a leader is that you get to step into that role and grow into it.  I could instantly see a change in her.  She went from hesitant to confident right before my eyes.

A few days later, our team leaders were presented to us, and she stood there with a smile on her face.  She was shining.

While there was a lot going on emotionally for everyone at this point, I remember being so happy and proud of her, and thinking, "Wow, God!  You used me to speak life into her.  I can see it!"  It was a WONDERFUL feeling to know that I was used to build someone up.

We need each other.  Not only as physical bodies existing together, but as emotional support.  I need you to speak life into me.  You need me to speak life into you.  What a beautiful relationship.