Now that I have more time since I graduated, I have been
reading my World Race team members’ blogs. I am amazed by the people that I
will be teamed with. The truth they speak,
faith they have, wisdom they
share, insight they have taken in, encouragement they pass on, and passions they pursue blows me away. I can’t
believe that I get to be with these people God has shown so much grace. I can’t
tell you how excited I am to develop community with others who all have the
same desire! I honestly want to copy their blogs and post it on mine because
they word things so clearly and have such incredible take- aways. It’s
encouraging how we can learn from people we don’t even know yet.
I am a huge believer in cultivating relationships. What does
this mean? I love building into people, hearing their stories, sharing life and getting to
know them. One thing I struggled with at first about the World Race was only
being in a country for about a month. This potentially hinders growing deep
relationships. However, God has shown me by past experience with my other
overseas mission that this is faulty thinking.
I am still in contact regularly with people I labored for and with. So
why do I still struggle with only being there a month? Maybe it is because here
in America it can take awhile to develop a friendship; we have so many choices
and activities that keep us from relating at deep levels. But when you are
plunged into a country, living, sleeping, eating with people constantly;
relationships go deeper more quickly.
But I am sure there will be times when we will only get to
meet/see a person for a hot second. God can use that hot second for His glory.
Even though I want to take my time and really get to know them, there is not
always a place for that. As an example, even though I do not know the people
whose blogs I am currently reading, I have learned a lot from them. God doesn’t
need deep relationships for us to grow (He uses them and I still love having
them) but he can use the seconds in our lives when someone speaks a word of
wisdom to impact our lives forever. We may never know the seed that we planted,
the impact that we made (this may be discouraging for sure) but a good reminder
for me that it is all for Him anyway. I don’t need to know everything. I just
need to know that I am doing what He has called me to do.
I just got a job at a little café in downtown Old Milford (a
little biased since I grew up here, but it is pretty darn tootin’ cute). I am
enjoying it so much. I hope to put into practice what I preach and use those
hot seconds I have with people to bless them for Him.
So, I am eager to build deep friendships with my teammates
and the people we get to love on, but now I am also pumped for those hot potato
seconds that I will get to pass on His great grace and love that was so freely
given to me, because either way, God is so big He can use it all to bless and
benefit.
