As training camp got closer, the more I developed in my head what I thought it would be like. I thought training camp was going to be 10 days of testing us to see if we were actually ready for 11 months in the field, seeing how we would react to certain situations that are bound to happen in the field, and testing our limits on flexibility and how we would respond to the sudden changes.
Is this what training camp was actually like? Partly. These things were necessary for preparing us for the race, but training camp prepared us for so much more than just how to handle various field scenarios. To keep from writing a novel, I will share the most impactful moment I had in my 10 days at training camp.
Training camp taught me to live in the moment and not in time. It reminded me to focus on what is right in front of me and be present. One day of training camp was the “man hike” where the guys hiked around 10 miles of the Appalachian Trail together. During the first few miles of the man hike, there were a few times when I wondered how much progress we were making and how long it would take us to finish. It was the first stop we made that what I had recently experienced resonated in my heart.
I went on a 10 day mission trip to Israel a couple of months ago, and the months leading up to it all I could do was think about the trip. I struggled to focus on the present and take care of the things that were in front of me. All of the sudden, I looked up and it had been a week since we had returned to the states. My heart grew heavy for the next couple of weeks and I could not understand how the experience just slipped through my finger tips. During my prayer time one day, I felt Jesus say “enjoy the journey” and I realized I was missing out on so much because I was always in a hurry to get to somewhere other than where I was.
We all sat down to rest and take in one of the many beautiful views we had on the Appalachian Trail when we were asked if we had anything on our hearts to share with the group. I suddenly realized that God laid this on my heart in that moment for a reason. I raised my hand and shared with the group what was on my heart, “I want to encourage you guys to live in the moment. Don’t let this moment pass you by, just be present.” Not only was that something that was laid on my heart to share with my brothers, but it was also to remind me. So, for the remainder of the hike, I did not look ahead of me and I made it a point to stay in conversation with someone. I kept my head down and followed the feet in front of me. There is no way to describe the appreciation I found in every rest stop.
Being present for 11 months will be no easy task, but it will be worth it for the simple fact that God will be. But for now, I have six weeks of preparation before launch and I am not going to miss what God is doing right now.
“Why do we close our eyes when we pray, cry, kiss, or dream? Because the most beautiful things in life are not seen but felt by the heart.” -Denzel Washington
We should never look too far ahead… sometimes we should not be looking at all.
