John –
John is a man that I have had the opportunity to spend this entire last year with. I got to see first had God molding a work of art together, taking pieces of brokenness, putting them together, and turning them into strengths. Turning shyness into boldness, fear into courage and timidness turned to confidence. However, John wasn’t and isn’t satisfied with self improvement. He wanted and encouraged others to join him every step of the way. He challenged me to step out of my own comfort zones, to face my fears of public speaking. He challenged me in my faith, helping me to nail down why I believe what I believe. He gave me a different perspective that I so desperately needed. Now he may not know that he has done all of this for me but that’s because John is a great leader. John doesn’t just tell you what to do, he shows you. He leads by example and his mindset isn’t on building a census but on building the Kingdom. This is how I know John will do great things for the Kingdom.
““If you fully obey the Lord your God and carefully keep all his commands that I am giving you today, the Lord your God will set you high above all the nations of the world. You will experience all these blessings if you obey the Lord your God: Your towns and your fields will be blessed. Your children and your crops will be blessed. The offspring of your herds and flocks will be blessed. Your fruit baskets and breadboards will be blessed. Wherever you go and whatever you do, you will be blessed. “The Lord will conquer your enemies when they attack you. They will attack you from one direction, but they will scatter from you in seven! “The Lord will guarantee a blessing on everything you do and will fill your storehouses with grain. The Lord your God will bless you in the land he is giving you. “If you obey the commands of the Lord your God and walk in his ways, the Lord will establish you as his holy people as he swore he would do. Then all the nations of the world will see that you are a people claimed by the Lord, and they will stand in awe of you. “The Lord will give you prosperity in the land he swore to your ancestors to give you, blessing you with many children, numerous livestock, and abundant crops. The Lord will send rain at the proper time from his rich treasury in the heavens and will bless all the work you do. You will lend to many nations, but you will never need to borrow from them. If you listen to these commands of the Lord your God that I am giving you today, and if you carefully obey them, the Lord will make you the head and not the tail, and you will always be on top and never at the bottom.”
Deuteronomy 28:1-14 NLT
Thank you John for moving me.
Emily –
Emily, despite my fervent rejection in the beginning, weaseled her way into my life and has become the sister I never had. Due to past relationships my trust towards women has been extremely fearful yet somehow through my veil of cautiousness she found my lack of communication with her a reason to continue to pursue a friendship where she gave everything but received nothing. Hindsight is 20/20 and now I can say I’m grateful for her persistence. I’ve gotten to see a woman with a heart of service, who cared for me while I was sick, which if you ask my parents is no easy task. However it wasn’t just me who she cared for, it was everyone on our squad and it wasn’t limited to when people were sick. She loved people whether they were happy or sad, crying or laughing, throwing up or feeling fine. Her love was constant and it was confirmed through how many people confided in her. She challenged me to see what a healthy friendship with women can look like. She challenged me to love and serve others without the need of something in return. Even if we are rejected at first!
“Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms.” 1 Peter 4:10
Thank you Emily for moving me.
Madison –
Madison, I’ve probably only had one conversation with her over this last year but it’s the way she lives her life that inspires me. I believe she lives out Proverbs 2:1-6;
“My child, listen to what I say, and treasure my commands. Tune your ears to wisdom, and concentrate on understanding. Cry out for insight, and ask for understanding. Search for them as you would for silver; seek them like hidden treasures. Then you will understand what it means to fear the Lord, and you will gain knowledge of God. For the Lord grants wisdom! From his mouth come knowledge and understanding.”
I can remember seeing her at the beginning of training camp, with her nose in the Word, seeking out the truth that God has spoken over us all. From that moment I knew that I wanted to carry the same desire that she has. To seek out those hidden treasures in His Word, because the results of it are evident in the way she lives her life. From the way she speaks softly yet confidently, utilizing the wisdom that God has given her to never waste a word. Rather, she pauses and gives space for the Holy Spirit to speak through her. She challenged and changed my view of wisdom and understanding and made me crave something far greater than earthly insight.
Thank you Madison for moving me.
Andrew –
Andrew, let’s just say if you want to see what love looks like watch this man live his life. I had the pleasure of spending the first 4 months of the race with him and I wish I would have taken more advantage of it. Andrew loves to love others! However he approaches everyone differently. He takes the time to learn peoples love languages so he can love them the best way possible. And when I say everyone, I mean everyone. When he is not reading his bible he is getting to know other people and trying to share the love of the Father with them. He has challenged me to love others not only I the way I myself receive love and the importance of investing our time into other people so that we can love them well. Andrew embodies what love is!
“Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud or rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged. It does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out. Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance.”
1 Corinthians 13:4-7 NLT
Thank you Andrew for moving me.
