I’ve always been the person to walk into a room not knowing anyone and leave being friends with just about everyone. Being a “social butterfly” has just always been one of my strong traits. So when I started to meet everyone who I would be doing the race with, I couldn’t help but be super pumped. 30ish new friends, heck yeah! I love getting to know about others, learning their personalities and enjoying their company.
it took us a few weeks to get super chatty but once we started, it was a daily flood of conversations with these people. day in and day out we’re talking about anything from prayer request we may have, verses that touched our hearts to why everyone should try tongue just once in their lives. they are some of the funniest, most down to earth people I have (never) met in my life. For only knowing them a couple months and not meeting them in person yet, I can’t describe to you how much love I have for each and everyone one of them! They have been what I always needed, a strong Christian support system.
I knew starting this journey I would team up with some strong Christians and would learn from them on the way but I didn’t realize HOW much they would impact my life and how soon. People who started off as strangers have quickly become friends and family. Sharing things with them that I’d rather not, they still love me for who I am. flaws and all. They show me what it means to have a healthy, growing and fierce relationship with the Lord. They encourage me to pursue my dreams, my faith, my walk. They lift me up when I’m down. pray for me when I’m out and genuinely want the best for me. and did I mention that we haven’t even met yet?! The fact that we were able to come together from so many different parts of the world and form such a strong bond just blows my mind. Each person is an intricate piece to our group who is needed to complete us. God knew exactly what He was doing when He placed us all together.
To give you a little history as to why I’m so thankful and so in need of their Christian relationships-
I grew up in a church where everyone knew everyone and if you were in need they would provide without even thinking about it. We were all closer than friends, we were family. We all spent time together outside of church and we did life together. After things happened that to this day I’m still not sure of, our family decided to leave the church. at the time it was something I was happy about but I was also 16 and thought I knew everything. (guess what, I didn’t…surprise!) Because what I didn’t realize is that walking away from the only Christian support system I had, I would face years of struggles with no Christian influence to turn to. after bouncing around from church to church I just recently found a place that I would consider my “home church” yet I’m still missing that community. Or I WAS missing that community.
Of course I underestimated God thinking that the people who would be on my team would just be new friends. God had a totally different idea of that! He specifically picked my team and every single person on it knowing that we all needed each other. I am blessed beyond belief to be able to team up with these guys and set out to change the world!
So to my O Squad:
in 5 months we are going to set out on one of the craziest adventures of our lives. Together we will face situations that will be irreplaceable and we will encounter things that no one will be able to understand or believe. God will move, shape, change and rearrange our hearts. We will have to learn how to live with each other. 24 hours a day. 7 days a week. Patience will be tested, our personal space will be nearly gone. But there is a reason God placed each of us together. He knows exactly what He’s doing. We were hand picked to be apart of something incredibly special. as we grow in our faith together, do life together, be God’s hands and feet together, I just want you to know how much I love and care for each and every one of you. I can not wait to set out on this race and finally be together with you guys!
“A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” John 13:34-35
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