I’ve been home from training camp for over 24 hours and I think I’m still processing everything I’ve just gone through. I wrote something out in my journal on day 3 of training camp, and I feel like I should share it with ya’ll. This is just a little bit about my experience:
The past few days have been such an incredible experience. Before training camp, I had this bogus idea that the World Race was going to be super fun and awesome. Don’t get me wrong, there have been so many amazing moments and times where I was having a blast, but there have already been many times when I’ve been wet, cold, exhausted, and overwhelmed. I first started feeling these things around 4 am the first night in our tents as it was pouring rain. I continued to feel this way the next morning when we were to be fully packed at 7 am, and yes, it was still raining. That day I was so discouraged.
I was totally and completely pitying myself and thinking, “This is not for me. I’m so uncomfortable.” Although uncomfortable is an under-statement. I was miserable. And I took on this mindset that God wasn’t with me in this misery. During worship, yes, I felt His presence, but as I trekked through the mud with tired legs, all my mind had room for was my pain. I’m so blessed that on the second night God spoke to me and revealed some things to me…
(I’ll talk more on God speaking to me later, but I’m trying to avoid making this super long so that ya’ll will stay with me. More blogs to come soon :))
1. He wants me on this trip.
I used to think Him wanting me on this trip looked like me wanting me on this trip. And I’ve since realized that is not always the case. While there are times I DO want to be going, my flesh has often whispered in my ear that the World Race isn’t for me. Thankfully though, even when my flesh fails, my God is sovereign.
2. This trip is going to bring me intimate relationships like I’ve never seen before.
In the past three days I’ve experienced more intimate moments with God than I’ve had possibly in my entire life. God is also blessing me abundantly with community that blows me away. My squad mates are my family and I can’t even comprehend how I’ve come to love each and every one of them so deeply in such a short amount of time.
3. Looking like Jesus isn’t easy.
Why oh why did I think this would be easy? I’ve lived so long in this lie that God’s plan for me meant I would always feel light and breezy about what I was doing. But God is continuing to show me that His plan for my life isn’t confined in the borders of my girly-girl, bug hating lifestyle.
Luke 9: 23-25 says – “And he said to all, ‘If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it. For what does it profit a man if he gains the whole world and loses or forfeits himself?'”
So I ask you to think about that passage. Don’t just skim over it. Really, let it deeply sink into your heart. Let’s do this together. Learning to lay down your life and picking up your cross is not easy, but Jesus is the prize and He will always be worth it.
<3
