Sometimes it hits me… God is good. Not fields of sunflowers on a sunny day kind of good. Not even listening to country music while driving on back roads with the windows down in July kind of good. Not even the good you feel after getting off the plane in Seattle after spending 10 days in the awful Georgia humidity. He’s the kind of good that makes you drop to your knees because you can’t even comprehend the kind of good He is.
Training camp was hard, emotionally, mentally and spiritually. It pushed me farther than I would have ever asked for, it stretched me, molded me, and began to shape me into the World Racer I have the potential to be. I learned how to take God out of the box I had put Him in, and begin to experience the fullness he has to offer.
When God speaks, He speaks loud and clear.
The Holy Spirit is a gentle but persistent.
Ministry isn’t a 9-5, there is no switch on or off, it’s a way of living that I am committed to, not just for the next 9 months but for a lifetime.
The Race will be hard.
The enemy is always trying to attack.
Spiritual warfare is real.
My God is a good God. Always.
These last few weeks we have been celebrating our fundraising goals as a squad. A text will be sent out saying “Wow, I’m fully funded!” Or “A man I’ve never met just donated $5000!” The typical response I give, and see, is “God is good!”. If God is good, than what does good mean? Sunflowers, sunny days, country music, the Seattle air are all good things. Can we really compare the goodness of our God to the goodness of materialistic, worldly things?
“Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love endures forever.” – Psalms 106:1 NIV
His love endures forever. Our God is a good God who’s love endures forever. Is that not exciting?? He is not good because he provided the funds for our team, his goodness comes from the fact that his love endures forever, and that love will sustain us through all things.
Gods goodness is good in the good times and his goodness is good in the bad times.
I will be the first to admit that it is hard to see God working in the hard times, I find it easier to close my eyes, build up the walls, and refuse to hear the still small whisper of the Lord saying “I am here. I am good. I will fight for you”
Nights 6, 7 & 8 of training camp were particularly hard for me. I was seeing how clearly God was working in my squad mates lives. Everyone was growing, trusting, and hearing from the Lord loud and clear. I was in the mind set of compassion when I sat down on the floor during worship and asked God “why?”. Why are you speaking to everyone but me? Why aren’t you allowing me to grow? Why haven’t you been good to me too?
I picture God hearing these prayers and saying “The best is yet to come. Quiet yourself. Stop taking and I will speak to you. I must break you down before you can grow, you have too many walls built up for me to break you. I am good always. Stop trying to earn my goodness, open your arms and receive what I have to offer”
In this moment of throwing myself a pity party the song Good Good Father came on. It took time for me to stand back up and raise my hands in surrender but I made the conscious choice to declare he is a good good father, it’s who he is, and I am loved by him.
His goodness is greater than anything we have experienced before, it’s not of this world, it doesn’t compare.
You can’t have goodness without God, and you can’t have God without goodness.
I wish I could sum up every little thing that happened at Training camp in one blog, unfortunately that isn’t realistic but this is what I do know:
1.Carry hand sanitizer in your day pack ALL the time
2.Bucket showers are always fun
3.Porta Potties are never fun
4.Crickets are a well rounded lunch time snack
5.Become friends with Sydney Dauge and she’ll probably share her tent with you on nights your too lazy to set up
6.Baby wipes.
7.Georgia heat is a real thing
8.Grace + Kylie give heavenly back massages
9.Ice cream cravings will probably consume your thoughts by day 5
10.Never take for granted a PB&J sandwich
Fundraising update: I am about $3000 away from my next fundraising goal for August 25th! If I do not reach this goal I will not be able to join my team and launch in September. I am trusting that God is GOOD, and he will provide in full. As always, please text, call, or message me if you have any questions on how to donate, or just want to hear more about my time at training camp!
