This is a tribute to my team: team
ignite.
At eight people, we are the largest
team (the other three teams have six). We are, from oldest to
youngest, Jeanette, Molly, Traday, Aaron, Traci, Krystle, Seth and
Meghan (the last five all being twenty-three years of age).
We have been thru a lot together. Of
course, we have been together for nine months now. And by together I
mean living together, working together, eating together, hanging out
together and pretty much everything else you can think of, together.
We have become dear friends and frequently refer to each other as
brother or sister.
We are always going thru something, it
seems. When Marvin died I questioned my faith and relied heavily on
my teammates for support, prayer and encouragement. I needed them
then, as many of us did at the time, and we were there for each other. We try to
be aware of how each team member is doing so that we can be there for
each other. It’s no secret that it’s hard for us at times. But
that’s community. Community is hard.
It seems every day now I’m tempted to
check out. Every morning I wake up and think about sleeping in. I
think about waking up in another hour or two and getting some coffee
and lounging for a bit before playing some games. I think about
ignoring issues that need dealing with and not praying for my teammates
or investing into them. But I don’t consider it for very long. I try to view it as a non-option. Months ago I made a decision to die to myself. I have resolved to give and will continue to do so. Thank God that it’s not a painful
plodding along. It is sometimes difficult to make the right choice, but every day that I do I am rewarded by encouragement, whether they
know it or not, and love from my teammates.
It would be incredibly difficult if they weren’t walking it out with me. This is not just me making this decision and putting up with everyone else as they do whatever they want. This is a family consistently choosing to invest into each other. We serve each other and consider each better than ourselves. We enjoy each others’ company and love each other deeply.
In thinking of the end of the race in two months and leaving all of them behind, I get a lump in my throat. My stomach sinks and I realize how greatly I appreciate each one of my teammates and how much I love them. I’m committed to them. I would die for each one of them without hesitation. I don’t wonder whether or not they’d do the same for me.
I love my team pretty well. I don’t
think they know this, but much of my thoughts dwell on them, both as
individuals and as a group. I wonder if they feel loved, motivated
and encouraged. And I wonder about how they’re doing and what God’s
been teaching them. Lately I’ve been thinking about the gifts God’s
given them and about how I can draw those gifts out of them. I feel a great debt to pay them for what they’ve done for me and it is a joy to give to them.
Thank you Jeanette, Molly, Traday, Aaron, Traci, Krystle and Meghan for your investment into me. You’ve given me so much, much more than I can say.
