Starting the race I was not sure what living with other people would look like. I was excited, yet nervous.
While we started our first month in Swaziland it was an all squad month. All 51 of us in a tiny African house with water that rarely worked and power that would go out constantly.
In our second location in Lesotho my team at the time lived in a nicer house with less people. About 20 of us lived in a more spacious house with water that worked more often then not and a hot shower! Our hosts hired women to cook meals for us and our view was just so stunning.
Now comes India… the first half of India I slept in a church that was connected to the home of my AMAZING hosts Grace and Solomon. I loved that location although things got tough due to the fact that we couldn’t leave the compound for safety reasons. During the second half I was moved to a Ongole which was six hours away. The way I would describe this location is dorm-rooms meets parking garage. It was a very spacious location.
And now here we are in Nepal. I’m staying in what I would describe as boujie beyond belief (for world race standards). My team and I have our own floor with two bedrooms, one bath, and a kitchen! It’s like we have our own apartment and I love this location so much!
Okay now time for the reason I titled my blog. This past week I have been reading an amazing book called Sacred Marriage written by Gary Thomas.
“But Ana, why are you reading a book about marriage aren’t you 19 years old and on a missions trip where you are committed to God?”
Well viewers’ question, I am reading this book because
1. I hope to be married one day so I suppose I should read about it before I get married so I understand what I am getting into. I don’t plan on getting married tomorrow.
2. I always say “We aren’t called to be happy we are called to be holy and in that comes joy,” and the quote on the front of this book is “What is God designed marriage to make us holy more than to make us happy?”
3. I am turning 20 in September so actually I’m almost 19 1/2
Anyways, back to the book…
So, this book talks a lot about how to die to yourself in order to serve your spouse and in that you are serving the Lord. A lot of problems in marriages are due to selfishness and people not understanding how to love one another and strive to grow.
As I was reading this book, there were many sections that reminded me of my current state. It spoke about how relationships shift when you live with someone 24/7 and how important it is to love others through their flaws. Sounds familiar? As I was reading this section I looked at my messy kitchen (after I had just washed every dish and cleaned our countertops) and saw the clutter in our living room, but instead of getting frustrated I just smiled. It was a new opportunity to love my teammates even if it goes unnoticed.
Sitting with my teammates today at dinner I was making a joke when I said, ” it’s like I’m married to all of you,” to which they actually agreed because by the end of the day, we all do love each other and serve each other well. If someone doesn’t serve the team well, I don’t mind picking up the slack because these girls are worth it to me. In any mini argument I have with these girls I want to strive for compromise, expectance, and loyalty because they are truly worth it. God hand picked these amazing ladies to live side by side with me in this season of my life. I want these girls to look back and imagine their roommate was Jesus when they think of life with me.
At this moment in time, I feel as though the world race has done a pretty good job of showing me a mirror image of myself and how I can change to love others better. Much like how a marriage should be, living with these girls has taught me that my ministry is not only outside of our flat but continues when I am with these wonderful ladies.
Life with others can be difficult, but knowing and understanding that the Lord picked me to live with these girls and continually be a light for them is such an honor! Thanks for reading 🙂
4 Look at the ships also: though they are so large and are driven by strong winds, they are guided by a very small rudder wherever the will of the pilot directs. 5 So also the tongue is a small member, yet it boasts of great things.
How great a forest is set ablaze by such a small fire! 6 And the tongue is a fire, a world of unrighteousness. The tongue is set among our members, staining the whole body, setting on fire the entire course of life, and set on fire by hell.
James 3:4-6
“The challenge is not to keep on loving the person we thought we were marrying, but to love the person we did marry!” -Really good quote from Sacred Marriage
Mom, Dad and Jaquie Happy Valentine’s Day! I wish I could be there to see dad get mom flowers and give us a box of chocolate each! Love you guys!!
