Welcome back everyone,
This week marks one month since I committed to the race, which is absolutely mind-blowing. It has just completely flown by, and I keep thinking it will all slow down and I’m actually starting to understand that it won’t and start embracing all of the lessons God is teaching me on a daily basis and everything he has been doing to prepare me without me even noticing it.
Particularly I have begun to notice abundant love around me. Through the community of people around me, through my job and through God’s silent auctions. Noticing this abundant love as got my mind on the topic, what does it mean to abundantly love something? To abundantly love a person, or an experience or even just an idea is something that is so hard to actually wrap your head around. But yet we feel it so deeply, and it shows physically, smiling at strangers, and hugging our friends and contagious laughing at even the smallest things. We love to show our love. And I have I fallen in love with loving others.
Last summer I was blessed beyond belief to be placed on Work Crew at Washington Family Ranch, and it changed my life in every way shape and form. This month in the middle of nowhere with a group of strangers sounds terrifying, working your hardest for twenty-seven days straight without getting paid is something that most people can even wrap their heads around, but I, on the other hand, can not wrap my head around how much I loved doing this. I was to play a role in God’s plan for middle schoolers. By bussing tables and setting out forks I played a role in kids learning about God’s love for them and how amazing life with Him is. These middle schoolers were my first experience of loving people so much, so fast, they had the deepest impact on me and my experience in my time here through the smiles they had an at the beginning of every meal and the notes the left on the paper tablecloths (which I still have) and I am endlessly grateful for them. This month of service was also really the first time that I ever just looked up at God and said
“Okay let’s do it”
And he provided me with unending strength, the best friends I could have possibly asked for and the clarity to understand how much love I can pour into other people. Listening to Him when he sent me to the Ranch helped me to have the faith in Him to go wherever he sends me, and I think that my job is somewhere he very intentionally placed me. Dutch Bros Coffee has been one of my greatest blessings, it has provided me with the greatest joy through serving others. I am given the easiest opportunity every day to love others and make their days brighter, even if it’s in the smallest ways. The conversations I have with hundreds of people every day, no matter how small they may have an influence over their lives, the relationships I have built with my regulars have had the biggest impact on my life. These people remind me every single day that you can never understand what is going on in other people’s lives, the most that you have control of is being a positive or negative influence on them. And I hope that I am a positive influence on every single person that comes through the stand. You could be reading this and laughing because yes, I’m talking about the crazy coffee shop of all those people who laugh way too hard at stupid jokes, talk ridiculously loud and make just as many energy drinks as they do coffee, but these crazy broistas have become a second family to me. They are some of my best friends and have had the greatest influence over my life that I cannot even begin to explain, and I love them and this job abundantly.
Even regardless of the easy opportunity, I am given every day to love others abundantly, It’ something worth striving for. People are very eager to guard their hearts and shut people out to avoid getting their heart broken, but I don’t believe that is how we are meant to live this life. I’d rather love everyone around me to the fullest because honestly, they all deserve it endlessly. Loving others unconditionally and fully is difficult, and it definitely puts you at risk for getting hurt, but we are meant to love others and serve others in the kingdom. That’s a huge part of why I want to do the race. I want to go out and love all of God’s people, I want to love the people who feel no love, and serve the people who feel abandoned. I have been blessed to be around so many people who are easy to love and am learning to love those who make it harder to love, regardless of the chance that I could get hurt at that moment. But I am thankful that God does not bring me any fear of getting hurt but instead abundant excitement for the relationships I have and will continue to build with my life and everything in it.
03/26/19
Syd
