World Race training camp. I have heard this 10 day adventure described in many different ways.
Life changing. Exhausting. Incredible. Radical. Crazy. Just to name a few.
This blog is especially for anyone just returning from training camp. Shout-out to my fellow 4th generation S squad!
Training camp brought you to your lowest low. You had to be vulnerable not only with your squad mates but with the Creator of the universe. That is easier said than done. Laying all your junk out on the table and giving it to God takes a huge leap of faith. Faith that God will still accept you even though you are broken. Faith that Papa will still love you anyway.
And I think most of us took that leap of faith. And it was incredible.
The worship nights are something many of us had never experienced before. The raw power of God flowing throughout the room as we sang and danced our hearts out. God healed so many of us. He brought many of us closer to Him during those ten days.
The friendships made, the closeness with God, the lack of social media – all a wonderful recipe for a successful training camp. But then the hard part comes – going home. Back to reality. Back to jobs and school and friends and family and our problems. Training camp may have allowed us to avoid some issues we had been dealing with. But once we all returned home, everything came screaming back.
When you are in a bubble, or a secluded Christian environment such as summer camp or of course Training Camp, it is much easier to remain close to God and see how He is working in your life. You are constantly surrounded by fellow believers in Christ and God is basically the central focus of every single day.
But then we come home.
We hang out with the same friends as we did before camp, even if we know they aren’t the best influence on our lives. We fall right back into our old habits. We listen to the same music even though it may bring us right back into that depression we had finally escaped during training camp. And how can we find God when we are so busy with full time classes and working a part time job??
Guys, it’s okay. God never left us.
Training camp was a “high” for our Christian walks. That fact cannot be denied. But when you have a high, that usually also brings in a low. Just like a roller coaster. You climb that hill and it is exciting and exhilarating. But then you cross over and go shooting right back down to the level that you were when you started.
That is NOT the purpose of training camp!!
Training camp was meant to show us our brokenness and how to give it to God and how to grow from it. To show us how to get along with our fellow brothers and sisters in Christ and how to show God’s love to the world. Truly, the seclusion from our family, friends, and social media was very necessary in order to make that happen well.
So what do you do now that you’re home and you don’t have your squad mates close by to keep you accountable? And you no longer have big worship sessions to keep you close and focused on God every night?
Our Christian walk was never meant to be ridden like a roller coaster. Our walk was always meant to be ridden like a train. Steady. Yes, of course there will be highs and lows. But trains can climb mountains, can they not?
God wants us to walk with Him every day. He wants us to spend time getting to know Him. When we are blessed enough to have times such as training camp, we get to make a big leap ahead in that closeness. But that was only climbing the mountain a little higher. There doesn’t need to be a big drop off at the end.
God wants us to incorporate what we learned from Training Camp and use it in our daily lives. He wants to be the biggest part of our day. If this is not a habit for us already, it will definitely be a struggle. But this is why you must take small steps rather than trying to keep the “high” going because that is just not possible.
Ride the train, not the roller coaster.
What does this actually look like in practical practice? For each of us it will be different. But here may be some ideas for you. Wake up early and spend some alone time with God. Even if only for ten minutes. If you work super early like me, make the car ride to work your quiet time. But do this DAILY. Stay steady, my dear trains. After your long day at work or school, CHOOSE not to turn on Netflix. Instead, maybe text some of your squad mates. See how their day went. Ask how you can pray for them, and tell them how they can pray for you as well. Or maybe you should be fundraising. Or maybe you should be preparing some sermons or teachings that will be needed on the race. What about hanging out with the same friends who don’t love God as much as I feel my fellow squad mates and I do? You don’t need to drop any friendships. Or you know what maybe you do. If your friends are truly only toxic to your relationship with God, it may be time to give them up. BUT, maybe you just need to spend a little less time with them. Saying you need to prepare for the Race is a good excuse 😉
The “highs” in our life are definitely big jumps in getting to know God better. And that is wonderful. But the CHANGES in our heart are definitely a slow process. We can’t take our whole squad home with us after training camp. But we do get to take God home. Truly, if we take the time and effort to focus on Him, He will reveal Himself to us. He will teach you how to have a steady, train-like walk with Him. That way, when the highs and lows DO come, we will be less effected by them because we are so close to Papa already. We may be climbing mountains, but at a much steadier pace.
We choose how we spend our days. Obviously, we must work and get an education, but God is always with us. We must choose to remember that and meditate on that. Taking even that small step will bring us closer to His heart.
Leaving training camp was very difficult. Amazing friendships were made. Amazing times with God were experienced. But it doesn’t have to end there. Training camp is only the beginning!
“There’s no shame, in looking like a fool. When I give you what I can’t keep, and take a hold of you.”
