What do you think of when I say family? Often, we think of those related to us by blood or marriage (and rightfully so). However, there is more to family than just blood or marriage relationship. It is anyone you truly and deeply love, who you spend time with and care for and they reciprocate it; that is family (among other things). Now, I love my family, immediate and extended, those related to me by blood/marriage. But, I want to share some about my other families.
First, there is my church family. I have only known one church for my whole life and that church has been there for me in everything, whether personal struggles or raising support for mission trips, they always have my back and I love them dearly. Within my church family has been stronger “families”; the youth group when I was growing up was my rock. I had a tight knit group of friends who became my brothers and sisters for that time (and some still are). We were tight; tight as a drum. And at the “head” of that family was my youth pastor who mentored me and worked with me throughout my teen years and even through college as I interned with him for a summer and he always welcomed me into his office to talk about anything and everything whenever I was home from college. That is/was one family.
A second family was the RA teams I was a part of. Nothing screams FAMILY like spending hours and hours together each week from late night room checks to dance parties in the RA office to crying at RD meetings to dealing with broken water pipes and a flooding dorm after 12am one night. You go through everything as an RA team and you truly become a family. I am still close with many of my RA teammates because I know they were not only there for me then, but they are still here for me now. They are my brothers (and one sister) and my RD will always be “dad” to me even though he’s only a few years older than me.
The final major family in my life is my college cross country team. Sometimes I wish I was closer to my former teammates now that I am gone, but one thing is certain, I will still do anything for these guys. They are my brothers; we battled through tough workouts, heat, cold, hard meets, disappointments, joys, injuries, everything. We spent hours together every day/week at practice, meals, classes, meets, weightlifting, Bible study, and just hanging out. And this is why I am writing this post today… I am preparing to leave Tuesday night to drive down to Georgia for a 3-day men’s hike and then training camp for the World Race where I get to meet my FAMILY for the next year. I am excited but a bit stressed as I still have to get some things ready for training camp and still pack up.
However, Monday, July 14, I am making a 6ish hour drive to Michigan (and then 6ish hours back home) to go to the visitation of one of my cross country teammates’ dad. My heart has broken for this teammate since his dad passed away on Thursday. I am not super close to him, but he is still my brother and I WILL support him and be there for him, even if it means being a little more stressed as I prepare for training camp AND even if it means driving 12 hours on Monday, and then another 12 hours Tuesday and Wednesday to get to training camp in Georgia. I know, crazy, but we do crazy things for family.
All that to say, will you be in prayer for my teammate and his family. I will never know what it is like to have my father die before I graduate from college. I do not know the pain he is going through. I have not lost a parent and hopefully I won’t for a very long time.
And could you be in prayer for me. I am going to need a lot of focus and energy (and Starbucks! Haha) to get through all of the driving this week. I’ll have friends riding with my on Monday, but Tuesday/Wednesday are solo down to Georgia.
And most importantly, remember you are a part of God’s family, you are his adopted son or daughter, created for good works, a child of the King, adopted by grace, not by anything you have or have not done, but because He desires relationship with You.
