Something Special
Training Camp was something special.
Arrival. From the very beginning. Stepping onto that property brought a pleasant aroma to my soul. One step felt as is the atmosphere that surrounded shifted. Tt felt as if I was stepping into a new atmosphere. This atmosphere had something special about it.
The staff. The serve team. The people who made sure we had water, food, that we were taken care of. Physically, Emotionally, Spiritually. These people had an intentionality to them that instantly shook my world. It was something I had not experienced before. These people took me by surprise. These were people that didn’t know me and wouldn’t see me ever again, yet they talked to me and treated me as if we were best friends. People that treated me as if I was on the high seat as they took the lowest seat. People that went out of their way to be a servant to all. To serve me when I had done nothing to deserve their service. People whose hearts had a hunger for the Lord and at the same time admired all that I was and met me where I was at. These people made me feel special, because there was something special in them.
The world racers. Coming all over the world. From all over the United States. From Canada. From Mexico. From Colombia. From places all over the world, racers coming together that had one thing in common. This one thing we have in common that will never allow us to be pulled apart. These racers have a desire that burns within them, this desire being to simply share what they’ve received. Over 250 racers all in one place, all having only one thing in common. These racers coming together, each one having a different story, yet their stories having one thing in common. Teenagers from all across the world currently in different seasons of life, yet all entering into a time of surrender for one cause. Living out the cause for Christ. That we might share what we’ve received. These racers, each one different and unique in their own way, yet all together in this constant never-ending pursuit of one thing, because of the something special that yielded their fuel.
The conversations. Not any two conversations I had looking the same, yet they all had something in common. Not a single conversation that I was brought into or initiated finished without having an impact. A meaningful impact. An impact that would last. No conversation would pass without having some meaning. No conversation would pass without bringing the people on both ends closer to the one thing we’re seeking, to the one purpose we’re living for. Each conversation, whether I chose it or not, was different yet served this one purpose that brings happiness and the feeling and trueness of acceptance and freedom. No longer seeking day-to-day acceptance through these conversations we were having with others, but having conversations knowing that we have eternal acceptance from God and letting these conversations further our rest that we find in our acceptance in Christ. Conversations that gave me this feeling of love reaching into the depths of my soul because of this love that would last, because the words that carried a special weight to them.
My squad. The thirty eight members of the squad I was fortunate enough to be blessed with. I don’t deserve this people, I really don’t. They represent a community that propels me in growth. Nothing I could have done would have brought me to deserve these people. My squad-mates, seeming to come together as if drawn into a blueprint with nothing short of perfection bringing us together. The members of this squad seeming to have known each other forever as we instantly clicked with one another. Crazy how it happens when it Christ that brings people together. Each member having a different story, but all of us coming together to form one story. Each member having different giftings, yet bringing all of our gifts together to make an impact as the church. Each member coming from a different church or denomination, yet all molding together to form one portable church to go to the nations. Each member coming from a different place, but all having the same destination. Each member coming together having something special inside them. Each member ready to give and receive more of this something special to others in this journey.
My team. The seven members of my team in my squad. I really don’t deserve this team. When I think of this team, one word comes to mind. Unity. The people I will be living with for nine months. And I can’t wait. Jake. Chris. Harper. Rachel. Maggie. Brynley. My newest best friends. My newest brothers and sisters in Christ. The people I would be doing different ministry with for the next nine months. The people I would begin to fight for through the thick and thin so that we might propel each other towards our one goal. Through thick and thin, these are the people I’m going to be fighting for and fighting with. As time progressed, the foundation of each individual relationship strengthened beyond what I could fathom because of what the foundation was built on, something special.
The worship. If I could use one word to describe the worship, it would be freedom. As we as racers lifted our voices together in unison to the one name that brought us all together, the name behind the power that brought the resurrection began to move radically among us. Things were revealed to people that had never been revealed before. People experienced God like they had never had in their life. People experienced freedom for the first time in their lives. Freedom from their past. Freedom from what ever had latched on to those and wouldn’t let go. True freedom in Christ. As we worshipped God, each person singing from a different place in life yet our praises singing as one voice bringing us closer to fulfilling our one goal. Our one goal, to go and share our something special.
The teachings. I don’t know where to begin to describe the teachings. Showing and revealing things to me about me and about God that I had never knew or seen before. Experiencing and hearing God’s voice like I hadn’t before. Experiencing God in news ways that I had not before because I simply had not yet tried. Having a refound fuel to pursue God in addition to the hunger and pursuit I already had. I knew that God was good, but I found out and experienced that He only gets better. The teachings all bringing something different but all so revealing in the one thing they were revealing. As if it wasn’t the pastor speaking but someone else, something special speaking through that speaker. The teachings helping me learn more about this someone and something special.
The food. Every single meal different. Each day a different meal by culture. Varying from hard boiled eggs, to vegetables, to simply bread, and so many different kinds of foods that I don’t even know what they’re called. Different cultures, European, Asian, Indian, African, South American, and many more that rotated by day. The food was good most of the time but at some times a challenge. Again the food and cultures, being preparation for the race, so that I may better be prepared to let something special work through me.
My life. Changed forever. Through experiences I had never had before and fresh encounters with the God of the universe. My daily walk transformed into something new. Letting down my pride that it might be broken and God may show and reveal more to me about life and about myself that I could never forget. Realizing what my true identity in Christ thinks and no longer thinking about what the world thinks about me, but thinking about what God thinks about me. No longer thinking about the ordinary that is inside of me, but the something special.
My relationship with God. No longer only setting aside time to spend with the Lord. But walking out every moment of my day in my relationship with the Lord. My relationship with God. Realizing that this is now a relationship with someone special.
My Jesus. My something special.
My Jesus, be the something special inside of me.
My Jesus, I am yours now forever.
Here’s an itinerary for our schedule we had.
Here’s a picture of our campsite with our Squad’s tents.
Here’s my squad.
Here’s my team. (Rachel [top far left], Maggie [top middle left], Jake [top middle], Harper [top middle right], Chris[top far right], Brynley [bottom right])
We did an airport simulation “in South Korea” and crammed a lot of racers into a very very small place. It was pretty cold and airport announcements played in Korean throughout the night.
