Have you ever stood under a waterfall?
Felt the rushing water on your head, pounding you into the earth?
Been so surrounded by plummeting water that it felt like you couldn't breathe?
I have.
This waterfall to be specific.
Training camp for the World Race (WR) was located in Toccoa, Georgia at Toccoa Falls College. Just a ten minute walk from our tents was this beautiful piece of God's creation. And this picture simply doesn't do it justice. The falls were coming down with great power, crisp and refreshing.
At first, I shied away from the falls and only looked from a distance. Just a few weeks before camp, there had been a terrible double death at a christian camp in Oregon involving a waterfall. So I stayed back. Teammates were swimming, diving, jumping and scaling the sides of the falls. But not me. I just watched.
What I didn't realize, was that this was how I was treating training camp too. I just watched as people jumped wrecklessly into camp, into the Spirit, and into, well, everything. I thought these people are crazy. Don't they see how foolish they are being. That's dangerous. My teammates were praying, believing, sharing and healing.
All I could think was these people are CRAZY. Things like this only happened in bible times. The girl who showed up to camp in a boot with broken foot must have just been exaggerating. There is no way she is fully healed and dancing infront of me… But there she danced.
The Lord tugged on my heart more and more each day, asking me to jump in; the water felt great! But I held back, it was dangerous. I asked, Lord, what if I get hurt. Is this really where you want me? Could you like write in the clouds or something. I don't know that I really fit in. Can I just go home now? I had a great life plan before you called me on this Race and I still don't really get why I am here.
But the Lord began a work in my heart. Slowly I started opening up to these strangers. Turns out, they were lonely, didn't feel like they fit in and were scared too. They had there own reservations, baggage and doubts. Suddenly I realized that although it still didn't totally feel like it, this was right where He wanted me to be. Sweating, crying, and sharing my heart, my life, with total strangers in the middle of no where Georgia.
Thursday night was when I finally started to get it. My teammate Jen leaned over and said exactly what I needed to hear, "Let go." So that's what I did.
Friday was the first day I was able to fully enjoy camp! Talk about a late bloomer. Camp ended with Squad Wars. You may have seen a few Facebook pictures of the orange shirts, accessories and war paint. It was a time of bonding, competition and fun. A time of true joy with true friends.
That night after Squad Wars, Angela, my new teammate suggested we head out to the falls. I couldn't resist the offer. We gathered a few girls and headed out to the falls! We stood around wading in the water, calm and peaceful, still rocking our orange attire. We enjoyed the cool water on the warm night, simply getting splashed by the falls crashing into the water. That's when I couldn't take it anymore. That little splash wasn't enough.
I couldn't just stand back and watch everyone enjoying the falls.
I couldn't only go knee deep.
I had to go in. All in.
So I swam in and inched my way closer and closer to the falls. Then I crawled on and over rocks, slick and dark until I was inches from the waterfall. I was still afraid to go fully under it. What if the pressure was too much? What if it knocked me over? What if I get hurt?
And that's when the waterfall consumed me.
It was like the waterfall suddenly grew foot and was suddenly raining down right on top of me. The pressure was intense, but managable. And I just stood there. It was like God's grace, mercy, faithfulness and love were just pouring down on me infinitely from the skies. He moved that waterfall and met me right where I was.
I stood there just letting the water pound me. I thought wow God, your creation is awesome; YOU are awesome. I had true peace. Lord, this really is where you want me.
So here I go. I am not just jumping into the water, or into camp, not even jumping into the Race. Nope, I am jumping into the arms of my Savior. With reckless abandoment.
Love,
Brittany
