Esther, you have shown me what it’s like to see people with the eyes of Jesus. Whether it’s our waiter or our uber driver or our ministry host, you make sure that the people you meet feel seen & valued. You form relationships everywhere you go & you bring Kingdom with the words that you speak.
Bethany, you have shown me that gentleness & boldness can not only coexist, but they compliment each other. Everything you do encompasses both; the way you love, the way you speak, the way you lead, the way you live.
Vivian, you have shown me what it looks like to allow the Lord to be my peace. You trust Him with everything in you, & that is not an easy thing.
Gracie, your work ethic is something that has blown my mind time & time again. With that, you are encouraging & kind in the midst of any task at hand. You are driven & do not give up easily, & that is something that I admire a lot.
Gabby, you have shown me how to use my voice. You treat my words as valuable. You encourage me to speak up. You have shown me that sometimes, hard things to say are the best things to say. You are honest & confident, & also kind & loving.
Madeline, you have this light inside of you that warms everything that it touches. You care so deeply for others, & you make it known to them. You never fail to put a smile on my face, & I know that is true for so many others.
Sarah, you have allowed me each & every day to come exactly as I am. You’ve been a safe space for me when I didn’t know where else I could go. You’ve waited patiently as I found the words I needed to say & you listened to them with attention & care. You’ve laughed with me & cried with me & held my hand when I needed it most. You’ve been a friend anyone would be lucky to have.
Abby, you have taught me that there is so much beauty in curiosity. You have inspired me to voice the questions that stir up inside of me. You are not afraid to dig for an answer, & you use your voice well.
Clara Jane, you are one of the most selfless people I have ever met. You are constantly looking to those around you, extending a helping hand. You advocate for others & fight for the greater good of the group, always. You value unity both as a whole & on a personal level. That’s really special.
Bri, you have shown me that there is such a beauty in authenticity. I think one of the most striking things about you to me is that you don’t try to dress up who you are for others. You’re real & honest & present yourself as you are. It’s shown me that strength & vulnerability are not mutually exclusive, but that they actually go hand in hand.
Reagan, you have loved me in ways that I didn’t know I could (or needed to) be loved. You’ve affirmed pieces of me that I didn’t know were there. You’ve sat with me & unpacked hurts that I didn’t know I had. You have helped me carry loads that I didn’t know I was bearing. You’ve wiped away my tears & celebrated my victories. You’ve been the truest of true friends. You change my life daily.
Megan, you have shown me kindness that isn’t conditional. You are attentive & intentional. You carry a gentle love from the Father that is so beautiful to be a part of.
Kaitlyn, you have shown me joy that does not rely on circumstance. You live from a place of that overflow, & it’s easy to see. You always treated our squad as an opportunity for ministry, serving us tirelessly & pouring into us daily. You character is truly something to behold.
Josh, you hold your life as an instrument of worship. Your title as worship leader has always extended far beyond our Wednesday nights spent in song. It’s in the way you treat people, the way you carry yourself, & the way you live your life.
JP, you have been a brother to me. God Himself has handed you redemption to bring me, to all of us, in a million different ways. I will forever be grateful fir this friendship that I get to share with you.
Payton, you have shown me the weight that words can hold. You choose yours carefully & you mean what you say, & you also regard the words of others with the same value. I have never spoken to you & not felt heard. Your words hold a lot of influence, & you carry that well.
Sierra, you have shown me love with no boundaries. You don’t hold back. You don’t put regulations on it. You don’t keep record of wrongs. You understand grace, so you give it away so beautifully. You love Jesus, love me, & love your neighbor like no other. You never stop pulling seats up to the table. It’s who you are.
Elina, you have shared our Father’s heart with me. He has used your mouth to speak His truths over me. He has used your hands to help me up when I fall down. He has used your smile to warm my heart. He has used your shoulder as a place for me to rest my head. I’ve seen the way He loves His children through you.
Ellie, watching you sprint after Jesus constantly pushes me to pick up my pace. It is good & beautiful & pure. I have seen His pursuit of you & how you run straight into His loving arms. To let your walls down & be completely His is something very special. You’ve shown me that I want that.
Taylor, you were my first friend on the squad. You made sure that you created an intentional friendship with me, & I remember feeling for the first time that everything was going to be alright. Since then, you’ve never stopped being a friend to me.
Katie, your capacity for love leaves me in awe. It is so beautiful to see how hard you love the people around you. You have cultivated such beautiful, intentional relationships within our squad, & you are leaving us better than you found us. It’s an honor to be loved by you.
