Let me tell you a story about Naomi Beard and a key.
To start off I have to tell you about the key.
At the World Race launch they gave every racer a key with a word on it. Each racers key had a word that meant something to them… something they needed to work on or come to terms with, and these words were prayed over by multiple people and given to us after much talk with Jesus about what we needed.
My key said blessed…. I’ll admit I laughed when I read it and was a little annoyed. Blessed. What the heck was I supposed to do with the word blessed…. how was I supposed to work on the word blessed? I came to realize after spending time with Jesus about it that it means I am blessed. I come from a family, a town, and a community that loves Jesus and I didn’t take advantage of. I didn’t embrace them. I blamed my struggles on them.
I come from a family where I spent a month almost ever summer at YoungLife camp. (And YoungLife camp is AMAZING… best week of your life… go check it it high schoolers)
I come from a family where my mom didn’t pressure me to get baptized and instead prayed that Jesus would set a fire for him in my heart along with my siblings.
I come from a town where I can go to HEB, Chick-fil-A, Or any local restaurant and people will recognize me or one of my family members.
I come from a town where I was constantly asked if I was a Brandenburger and then told how cool my siblings or parents are.
I come from a community where I can talk to my YoungLife leader about anything.
I come from a community that I can spend a weekend with my second family and it be completely normal.
I come from a community that supported me and continues to support me every single step on my race.
I COME FROM A FAMILY A TOWN AND A COMMUNITY THAT LOVES ME, SUPPORTS ME, AMD MOST OF ALL DOESN’T GIVE UP ON ME.
and I never embraced it.
You see I was tired of being called Brandenburger when I was in town… I wanted people to know my first name not my last. I didn’t feel as if I could completely be myself even when I was with my own family or my second family. I was scared to tell my YoungLife leaders everything that was going on with me.
I was scared of being judged. I was ashamed. (Wow a common theme in some of my blogs here…shame)
This key changed my outlook on home. I know now that I can be vulnerable with people at home and not be judged. I am blessed to be apart of a family that is constantly chasing after Jesus. I am blessed to have a second family that I can go to whenever (I love you Johnson clan!!!) I realized since being on the race that I missed being called Brandenburger and hearing how cool my fam is. I realized on the race just how blessed I am.
At launch they told us that when we feel called to pass our key on to someone else.
And that is where Naomi Beard comes in. Naomi or Nomi is the oldest kid in the Beard family. Naomi lives at Rancho Oasis with her family in the mountains of Honduras. She reminds me so much of myself when I was younger. She is constantly reading and has a love for horses. ( I really loved horses when I was younger if you didn’t know)
This Monday when my team and I were having a night of worship I got this sudden feeling that I needed to pass my key on to her. I was a little confused at first. I thought I was still learning more from my key, but Jesus reminded me that I can learn from it even when I don’t have it.
On Tuesday I asked her mom to help me make it into a necklace once again (the chain had broken) so that I could give it to her. After that I asked Naomi to walk down to the soccer field to talk with me.
I explained to her what the key means to me and why I wanted her to have it. I told her that I want this to be a reminder that she is blessed with a Jesus loving family and a beautiful home. I told her that when she gets frustrated with her siblings to remember how lucky she is to have them. I told her that I didn’t want her to go through the things I had gone through.
I wanted this key to be something for her to hold on to always. I didn’t tell her this, and I don’t know if it will happen but maybe one day Jesus will put it on her heart to pass it on to someone in need of it just like I did with her.
If you ever read this Nomi I want you to know that it might be scary to pass it on and you might not want to loose the key but Jesus has a plan for that key and you are apart of that journey… oh and I’m so glad I got to get to know you this past month and it hasn’t even been a week yet and I miss you sooo much. I love you sooo much girl! Go live your blessed life!!!!
