These last 10 days with my KSQUAD was such an amazing experience. Although we were constantly sweaty, dirty, sleep deprived, emotional, covered in bug bites, and physically exhausted, we found so much joy in the time we spent together. It was so exciting to get to meet the 50 people I will be doing life with for the next 11 months. Many people have asked me about my last 10 days in Georgia and each time I straight up word vomited. I am having the hardest time explaining everything that occurred. I’m finding it even harder when I am still processing it all myself and asking myself the same questions. After a hot shower and a night in my own bed, I began to realize that I am changed for the better. Here are 11 different things that I learned from training camp.
1.The red dirt in Georgia is real. There were several days when I looked down at myself and wondered if I was getting tan or just really dirty. No amount of bucket showers could have rid me of the red dirt and Kesha like sparkles that were practically permanently placed on my body. This week in the woods taught me to embrace the mess and roll with it.
2. You do you. Everyone’s walk with Christ will look different. We are all unique so it wouldn’t make sense if we all worshiped and spent time with the Lord in the same manner. I have learned that my walk in faith does not have to look like my neighbors. Own your walk.
3. Your stomach can and will shrink. Whether its beef broth or eggs and French fries for breakfast, you will soon realize that we as Americans over eat and assume we need some much more than we do to survive. (True story: I left for training camp being able to eat an entire pizza and by the 7th day I was so full after eating only two pieces.)
4. Your tears are just as beautiful as your smile. Emotions are a wonderful thing. I tend to mask my true emotions with a big smile or a fake laugh, but it’s not worth it. Show your true feelings and be your authentic self. Let the community around you love you for you are in each moment. Thank you to my training team for speaking life into me and helping me realize that the Lord wants our authentic self. I can now say I fully believe that the Lord loves my laugh and smile as much as he loves my tears.
5. In 10 days you and your squad will become a family. Community is a wonderful thing, but it isn’t always going to be easy. Finding alone time was almost impossible, but if you open up and become vulnerable these people will love and fight for you daily.
6. Your story is beautiful, share it. Sharing your story is so freeing. We talked a lot about shame and guilt this past week. When we suffer from these things we often want to suppress these feelings. By suppressing these feelings and stuffing them farther and farther inside of us, we are allowing them to grow in darkness. Bring the shame to light, talk about the hard things, and share your story. God works in crazy ways and your story can be healing to someone. One of my biggest take a ways from the sessions was that in order to free people you must be free yourself.
7. Life brings many battles, don’t shut down. It’s not always going to be rainbows and butterflies, press in and keep fighting because there is so much more to see in life.
8. Unforgiveness is just as powerful as forgiveness. Walking in unforgivenenss will shape our heart with bitterness, anxiety, and entitlement. We have been forgiven by Christ for so many things in life, it’s now our turn to share this forgiveness with people. Forgiveness is a choice. Never forget to walk in thankfulness because you have been forgiven time and time again.
9. Your life is what you make it. This same thing applies for the race. We get to choose how we respond. The quality of this journey we are about to walk in lies in how we choose to make it.
10. You are so loved, walk in that love. Choose light over darkness, by choosing this light you are choosing love. Accept this love and embrace it. When you need love turn to God. He is for you and you are loved deeply. Love is available to each of us; we just have to choose to walk in the light. We live in a place where God has given us the opportunity to walk in, but only we can choose to step out of the darkness. Walk in this love on the path to eternity.
11. Learn to be present. Build relationships. In today’s society we tend to turn to places of comfort when we are uncomfortable. Often these thinks look like technology, cell phones, and social media. These things make us numb and rob us of the ability to stay engaged. Don’t use these mediums to escape the hard and uncomfortable things in life. Turn to the Lord, the Word, and your brothers and sisters in Christ.
