I want a life full of stories to share. I want stories that make people laugh, remind people of their own experiences, and make people dream. I want to hear these stories as well- the stories that make you feel. And I don’t need to go out of my way to find these, no one does. I don’t need to be in Guatemala or Thailand or paragliding with an Argentinian guide over an exploded super volcano to have a good story to tell (although, these things are all great). All I need, all anyone needs, is to pay attention to the people and events of everyday life, and steward those stories well.
So here is a story I am super privileged to have experienced and get to share with y’all:
The men I get to live alongside for these nine months are called the Band of Brothers. Both collectively and individually, these men have shown me Jesus.
A few weeks ago, the guys spontaneously decided to give the women a night where they were treated like the daughters of the king that we are.
They washed our muddy feet (or maybe it’s just my feet that are constantly dirty), and told us to never settle for anyone who wouldn’t do that. They told us that hand-washed feet is the least that we deserve. They wrote us notes pointing us to the truth of who we are in scripture. They called out Proverbs 31:26 for me, “She opens her mouth with wisdom, and the teaching of kindness is on her tongue”, and I get to grow into that and strive to live that out every day. They served us dinner, complete with garlic bread and avocados (a real blessing). They did all of our dishes. They put on music and danced with us all evening. They laughed alongside us. They called us beautiful, and they called us higher. I have never felt so loved by a group of men before.
In a country where I can’t walk twenty feet outside our house without feeling degraded by cat calls and comments, the Lord has blessed me so sweetly with guys who live for Him. They’ve shown me that we have a King who redeems our hearts.
Throughout the race so far, I’ve been told that every person I meet is a new face of Jesus; they all have qualities and stories from Him. It’s work for me to pay attention to this. My skewed perspective doesn’t always see people as new faces of Jesus, but we are all made in the image of the creator, so there’s literally never an exception to this. As I am learning how to better love like Jesus, it’s become really important for me to see people more like Jesus sees them: unique and worthy. Every single one of the guys I get to live with is showing me Jesus so tangibly, and it’s amazing to watch them step into being men of God.
With that said, this is the first blog of a series I’m posting where I get to introduce y’all to the faces of Jesus I meet through the remaining eight months. Stay posted for more wonderful men and woman of God all of you are allowing me to meet!
(Also, shoutout to my beautiful, God-fearing mama, on her birthday! I love you a lot and hope you have a day filled with love and blessings). Have an amazing weekend y’all!!
Love,
Cait
