My Dearest Lion,
It seems like just yesterday I was at training camp, and it was time for another scenario. Without knowing what was going to happen, they asked us to split into two groups: Lions and Giraffes. I thought logically, “I’m pretty tall…I’ll be a giraffe.”
Next assignment: Find someone in the other group.
I obviously had already known you for a couple of days, but as we both know, we aren’t the most outgoing people, so it makes sense we hadn’t become best friends yet.
But, we chose each other and were told that we would be sharing the giraffe’s pack for the night since “all of the lions’ packs got lost during traveling.”
You helped me set up my tent, and we split up the sleeping materials. I will never forget the typical “get to know someone” questions that followed us lying down to go to sleep. We talked about our family and what we were doing when the Lord called us to come on the Race. Then I fell asleep…sorry again 🙂
Then came team formations. I was beyond excited to be on a team with you and get to know you more than just our 10 PM tent conversation. I was ready to do life around the world with you.
From Albania to Thailand, I thanked God for you more and more each month.
Then came team changes at the end of month five. It was the last 30 seconds of being with the Radiant Rubies; in the midst of my tears of not being a team with y’all for the rest of the Race, I looked over at you and cried even harder. We clearly would still be friends, but it wouldn’t be the same. You always listened to what I was feeling and never doubted my sincerity. What if I didn’t have that on my new team? What if no one laughed at my jokes or wanted to hear what I was going through? What would I do without my Lion?
We sat in a circle facing outwards and received slips of paper with our new team listed. There you were:
Sisay
My heart was overjoyed, and I praised the Lord for letting me keep my Lion for another five months.
I see no coincidence or fate in our story. I see a friendship that was planned by the Lord before we even met. He knows us both far better than we know each other and even ourselves.
Sisay Grace, you are a beautiful daughter of the Lord. You speak your mind and are so honest with what’s going on in your life. You pursue God with everything you have and desire His good and perfect will for your life. And I absolutely cannot wait to see what that is. You care for others with all you are and always seek to put others above yourself (sorry about the time we’ve spent trying to put the other first hehe).
Thank you for being exactly who the Lord made you to be and seeing His hand in your life. Thank you for sharing your story even when it seems hard. Thank you for never giving up on me even if living right beside me for ten months is finally getting to you.
Thank you for exploring KL and Athens with me, and not freaking out when we weren’t always sure where we were going. Thanks for letting me play with your super awesome hair even though you hate when people touch it. Thanks for taking walks with me when you know that something is wrong. Thanks for being there.
We only have about a week left of being teammates, but I am beyond thrilled to have a lifetime remaining of being your friend.
With All the Love in My Heart,
Giraffe
