What do you think about when you think of community?
Defining the word community was difficult for me and when I asked others about their definitions, I found it means different things for different people. In the past, I’ve typically thought “community” was just the neighborhood I was living in and/or associated areas such as Buckhead, Brookhaven, etc. (towns/cities surrounding Atlanta). And although I have a lot of friends and family, and I’m constantly surrounded by others, for some reason, I never considered people to be my ‘community’.
Webster’s definition of community is, “a group of people living in the same place….”.So I wasn’t entirely off base with my previous viewpoint, but based on a recent experience, I’m beginning to understand that it was limited in scope.
On October 18th 2017, I departed for an 11 day, 10 night training camp in Gainesville, Ga. This training camp was designed to not only be the final interview process, but also to prepare participants (what we call ‘racers’) for what to expect on The World Race! If you are just joining my blog and have yet to read anything else on here……I’m departing January 16th 2018 on The World Race, which is an 11 country, 11 month mission trip to share the love of Jesus Christ through serving “the least of these” in different parts of the world.
Well, training camp was amazing, yet difficult to say the least! Along with many of my squad-mates, there were times I thought to myself, “do I really want to do this??” “Do I readily have what it takes”…..especially on day 2 when they tell us we have to have EVERYTHING packed up by 6:45am – this means everything y’all….tent, sleeping pad, sleeping bag, big packs, small packs, etc. – everything we arrived with…to go through a workout while carrying it all!! Okay, fine…I struggled, but I did it! And without hesitation I unloaded clothes, shoes, sweaters, etc. into my car after that first morning because I knew there was no way I was passing the fitness requirements with the amount of crap I brought…..My point is, a few hours after the workout, the word community punched me in the face as I found out my pack was gone…half of the squads packs were gone…….
No tent, no sleeping pad, no clothes! So I had to find a squad-mate who I had known all of 24 hours to “bunk up” with…sleep in their tent, borrow their underwear/socks/baby wipes, okay, I didn’t borrow baby wipes, but the list could go on and I’ll spare you the details. This was just the beginning of the shift in my thinking surrounding the term ‘community’.
Throughout my years on this earth, like most people, I have experienced significant pain along the way. And so in seasons of my life, whether it was consciously or sub-consciously done, I found myself believing that isolation was the key to escaping future pain, that isolation was the safer route, that isolation would protect me from fears that were deeply rooted.
But what I learned in the 11 days at training camp, and what I know to be the absolute truth….is that I have been LYING TO MYSELF!!! During the seasons of my isolation, I moved further and further away from God and more and more into myself. I was believing the lies satan constantly fed me because I made a choice to be on an island alone. He is the best liar of all, and will continue to lie and manipulate us all day long when we’re alone, not wholeheartedly seeking the truth in Jesus’ word, and when we aren’t within a community that will speak life and truth into us!!
I have such a deep desire to make an impact for the Kingdom, but how can I make an impact in this world when I’m in isolation?? How can I shine His light when I’m in isolation? I guess there’s some wisdom in what Andy Stanley has been saying for years, “circles are better than rows”! 😉
During training camp, my squad, my team, squad leaders, squad mentors, speakers, etc. showed me there is a Haven that’s indescribable within a community!! I’m not sure I’ve ever experienced such love, grace, trust, wisdom, and growth as I experienced with and through F-Squad at training camp. There is no doubt that this year is going to be one of the most difficult years I’ve ever experienced, but the harder it is, the more soul-power we gain, and I cannot wait to see what the Lord is going to do in me, through me, in my team/squad, and in every soul we encounter this coming year…
In Love,
Emily Cate
