Well we officially made it through month 6! Only 5 months left. Looking back on the Race it has flown by, yet looking forward it seems we still have a lot left. I know that time is flying by and I am trying to embrace every moment of it.
We just went through our month in the country of Georgia- I have a video ready, but the wifi is not strong enough to upload it. We just had our debrief and the Lord has taught me so many things as I feel as if I am being refined by fire.
I wanted to share the 10 lessons I have grasped over this season of the Race. I would love your thoughts and encouragement if any of these relate to you in this season in time.
1. Feedback is a good thing
For the longest time, even some early memories I feel like feedback has always been done wrong. I have hurts from feedback I have been given from friends, family, and other past relationships. It has allowed me to not listen to others when they have something hard to say and in my mind feedback was always negative. This month, after a horrible month of feedback with a new team, God gave me clarity on how feedback is good as well as a vision on who it is to be done right. I am learning a lot and I have come to the understanding that I need to get other perspectives on the feedback that I receive. And if it is true I need to figure out what I need to implement and how I can improve. This is a hard lesson to put into words, but I believe in feedback and through it being hard, God had revealed it to be a good thing.
2. People who care about me are willing to say the hard things
Sometimes things need to be brought to our attention in love. For example, the gospel. I see how loving it is to share about Jesus because it has the potential to save them from an eternity separated from God, love and life. Yet, the other side of it shows how unloving it would be to watch someone head that direction and not let them know. The people who really care about me are the ones who will tell me the truth in love and help me walk through it.
3. Letting those around you know how you need to be loved shows vulnerability
Sometimes we need support from those around us. That’s part of having community. However, if we are not willing to show our need then our community can’t help. For me this month, I felt very unloved and didn’t know how to express what I needed. I didn’t want to be vulnerable because that is hard. It is difficult be honest about my feelings all the time, yet I see the valuable lesson in expressing our needs to the community around us so that we can love, pray, and serve each other better.
4. Awareness is difficult for me so I need to bring others into it to help
I realize that sometimes I don’t see something on the floor until I step in it. Even being aware of what people are feeling and thinking- I miss it. So bringing others into that and letting them know can help me understand awareness and allow them to point out the things I don’t see. Also, being able to ask questions to others has helped bring more awareness in my life.
5. God is faithful – He provided $11,635 in 18 days to send us to Egypt
Why doubt? Because standing on at the base of the mountain it looked impossible. Yet God is a God of the impossible. I believe God is challenging me to seek Him in the impossible and let reveal how great He really is. What a faithful God who sees our hearts and provides for our needs!
6. Asking clarifying questions can be the difference between hearing lies and finding the truth
If someone were to say to me “you don’t listen very well” and I don’t ask any questions I can hear the lie the enemy says to me constantly “your not good enough, you will never be a good listener, these people don’t understand or care about you.” Even though I know their heart isn’t to hurt me, I can be hurt by their words. So what God revealed to me is by asking questions to clarify I can gain a better understanding and not let the enemy lie to me about the little things. This is way easier said than done.
7. Ownership- accepting the responsibility of mistakes and sin without minimizing it or blaming it on others
Ownership for me means accepting the responsibility and the mistakes. Owning my part in the situation. If there is a conflict between two people and all there is is blame back and forth than the issue will never get solved. It takes humility to admit the wrong I committed and by initiating that hopefully their is a repentant heart on the other side too.
8. Community = People committed to grow together
Community sounds great, fun, happy, and exciting from the outside. But on the inside its a lot like family- hard, challenging, work, worth it. Committing to grow to gather with people means that there will be challenge. When someone gets lazy the community is pushing them for more. It is what keeps us running the race and not falling into our sin or comfort. Growing is hard work, yet the community is also a place for support and encouragement along the way.
9. Deliverance plus soul care are needed for everyone… and should be revisited as wounds are revealed
When things happen in our lives that seem like a huge deal this is a hint that there is something deeper under the surface. Being free and picking up the shovel and doing work on the soul is a way to clean in up. If we never get the root of the problem it will always come back. How do you find the root? Soul care. Being able to pray into the situations and asking God to come and heal the original wound- which often comes from childhood experiences. I have learned how to pick up my shovel and let the LORD into my wounds.
10. Challenge leads to growth, so embrace it- Need to ask others what challenges others have for me
For me, challenge means I have to work hard. And I have realized I don’t want to work hard all the time. I want life to be easy, fun, and enjoyable. I often want to run to my comfort zone and what I am good at, yet that is not growth. Growth comes from challenge and pushing harder than before. Living with a team and having them specifically challenge me on areas of my life means I can not longer stay in that comfort zone, I have to grow. I know this sounds hard, but its worth it. Stepping into to the uncomfortable to gain a deeper relationship with Abba. I have to ask the question, “Am I seeking God with my whole heart?” Because if I am not, I need to!
All of these have so much more of an explanation. I have been so busy that I have not the time to share all that God is doing. My hope is to continue to write along the way and share as time allows.
Thank you for staying up to date with me. Know that your prayers are changing my world on this side of the world.
After debriefing I have processed through 10 lessons the Lord has taught me. Seasons of growth can be difficult, yet it is what we need in order to become more like Jesus.
