At the start of training camp, I felt the Lord say, “Stay.” Initially, I was a little confused…stay where? Am I not supposed to go on this trip? With each passing day, the message became more clear…I want you to stay when things are uncomfortable; I want you stay when its difficult. Don’t run from the hard places…choose to embrace the discomfort.
For the past 10 days, I lived in close community with my squad, learning and growing together. In each of my squad mates, I’ve seen what it looks like to embrace the uncomfortable, to say yes to the Lord, and to choose in for one another. The most impactful example of this for me was during our fitness hike. We had a timed 3.3 mile hike with our packs, during what felt like the hottest part of the day…and I swear it seemed like half the course was uphill! About midway through the hike, I found myself alone in the middle of the group struggling, while it seemed like everyone else around me had someone with them supporting and encouraging them. In that moment, the lies crept in…“In the end, the only one who will truly be there for you is you; you’re alone; no one really cares about you”…lie on top of lie flooded my thoughts. I was physically, emotionally, and mentally drained…I wanted to stop and walk away. In that moment, I had the choice to quit and leave, or to finish and stay. As I had to shift my focus to just putting one foot in front of the other during the last mile and a half, the voice of truth broke through. The Lord reassured me that I was never alone, that He would never leave me nor forsake me, and that He did not intend for me to walk this walk alone.
Deuteronomy 31:6 “…for the LORD your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.”
Romans 12:4-5 “Just as our bodies have many parts and each part has a special function, so it is with Christ’s body. We are many parts of one body, and we all belong to each other.”
Seemingly out of nowhere, two of my squad mates were by my side. They walked…and ran…with me. We supported and pushed one another, and finished on time together. In that moment, my squad mates were a tangible reflection of God’s truth. When you experience God’s truth, the lies of the enemy have no ground on which to stand. I say yes to the Lord and to my brothers and sisters in Christ each day, because each day, God says yes to me!
1 John 4:11 “Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.”
Psalm 133:1 “How good and pleasant it is when God’s people live together in unity!”
