Whatta week of being stretched, prodded, challenged, empowered, and commissioned. Through being pushed physically, mentally and spiritually I’m now starting to feel the weight and depth of this opportunity that I’m going to get to experience. I’m starting to get excited about being not only the hands and feel of Jesus, but also His eyes, His voice, and His tangible love on this earth.
Prior to training camp I found myself sitting on a plane on my way to Atlanta and I realized how busy I’ve been lately. Between 40 hours at Agility PT, 10 hours coaching volleyball at Plainwell Middle School, and running up to 40 miles a week, my weeks have been go go go. Because I’ve been so busy I had put off thinking about Training camp. I couldn’t think about it because I’d think about how busy I’m going to be, how much I’m going to be stretched, how exhausting it’s going to be. But I missed out. I didn’t get to be excited about the people I was going to meet, the ways that God was going to meet me, the experience I had and will have to live vulnerably. I didn’t get the chance to pray for my team, prepare my heart, and go into training camp with my hands open to the challenge.
At training camp I got reintroduced to the immense love of God. I got invited into a family that was willing to support me, cry with me, and most importantly, speak truth and love over me when I couldn’t see if for myself. I met leaders who listened. I met teammates who linked arms with me, who shared their sleeping bag when I didn’t have mine, who amazed me with their abandonment to the Lord. I learned how to meet Jesus in human form in each person that I encountered.
So here’s to my week at training camp, a week of being vulnerable. A week of remembering that I can’t be perfect, and no one expects me to be. Here’s to a week of being able to learn how to better love God, love people, and love myself. Here’s to a week of living out of a backpack, giving up the right to know the schedule, eat the food I want, sleep when I want, and leaving stronger than I came in.
OH! And here’s to running MY FIRST FULL MARATHON tomorrow. 26.2, here I come. 😉
#wrtrainingcamp
The first night in my tent!
For dinner one night, my new team got to dress in “normal” clothes and enjoy a nice meal together!
