#keysforthejourney
i know people are wearing them but i haven’t yet seen a lot of stories.
Probably for the same reason that i haven’t written mine yet.
…
i got to launch. I didn’t really know what to feel. I actually feel more excitement in my body remembering and writing about it than i did arriving.
i was in the airport for about a week, and then the morning i was told to arrive racers slowly trickled into the terminal and made last minute peace meetings at random american food places; like ihop and starbucks…
i waited a bit before joining them. Instinctively i think i knew it would be my last few unlinked-with-other-people moments.
And then suddenly without much ceremony it was time to leave the airport, catch the airporter, and arrive at our hotel destination.
I also didn’t realize we’d be at the hotel for several days of training.
…
We had trainings – mostly like awareness, and teambuilding, and responsibilities brushups, with further information. And worship. And teamtime. And then parent dinner…
and a few last speakers. And then comes the story of the key.
Thee key.
i was given an envelope. Simple little white envelope with my name scrawled across it in doctor like scrawl.
My heart thudded in my chest, and i opened the envelope and slid the key into my palm.
…
This tall, well built, handsome guy i saw helping other squadmates at training camp during our fitness test got up on stage.
And he spoke. About what i can’t exactly pinpoint. I’m sure theres some notes somewhere in my journal.
But i was pretty overwhelmed from our time of worship where the Lord had washed His love over me. He had held me. And He’d whispered words of love to me.
So as i write this all i pretty much remember is that he said he had a gift for us.
He said that God had asked him to pray over each persons name and that God would give him a word for each person to put on a key for them.
He wanted us to take the key, wear it, and pray over the word.
Then when we felt we were walking in the fullness of that word then we were to pray who to give the key to.
…
The cold bronze key tumbled out of the envelope, the chain snaking along, sliding itself through my fingers. I flipped the key over and the word stared back at me: courage.
Then i remembered (my pastor in korea) Brock’s words to me, “This year be bold as a lion!”
…
Before i left Chile an old lady who we came to know and love as our Chilean grandma, Victoria, came over to me and grabbed both my hands.
“Caroline,” she said in her high soft voice, looking me straight in the eyes. “For you: Joshua 1:9! Be bold! God is with you!” And with strength and conviction she shook me by the arms.
– i did not wear my key much that month, and she did not know about it. We had never talked about such things.
She was simply blessing me before she left. I heard her give my other teammates other blessings during her farewell to them.
…
Our last prayer evening with our hosts in Argentina several people came and prayed for me. I recieved a call into intimacy with the Lord, assurance of who i was in Christ, and then a girl i hardly spoke with from the base – but who’d been cooking several times when i washed dishes, came up to me and prayed for me. “Carolina,” she smiled at me. “For you Joshua 1:5 and 9!” Then she walked away.
…
and then comes the next part of my story.
