I haven't been up on my blogging grind recently. A year ago when I was stalking World Race blogs I would read stories about how an orphan from Thailand, or an aged woman from Uganda, changed a World Racer’s life.
I’ve seen so much beauty in the children at kid’s camp in Albania and the old Orthodox women in Serbia. And the faces of gypsies that I pass on the street in Romania. But I haven’t sat down to blog about them because God is constantly blowing apart my expectations via another group of people.. my squad.
I see my relationship with God as one that’s independent. I don’t isolate myself from people.. completely. God has faithfully provided a community of believers for me to grow around constantly. But every time before now, pre-Word Race, I’ve had the freedom to
love on people
invest in them
be loved by them
spend time with them
and at the end of the day,
to go home.
Soak in a hot bath
Lay on my bed,
stare at a wall,
be in God’s presence.
That’s how I’ve really come to know God over the past decade. In my alone time with Him and in His word.
So here’s the scenario: I’ve come on the World Race. I never have a large gap of time to just ‘be‘ in God’s presence and if I do, it’s His presence plus 6 others. Or 50. As I said back in Albania, I can’t escape this community. Ever. [In fact the only reason I can sit down to focus on this blog is because the majority of Racers where I’m staying left on a 3-day trip to Greece. I chose sweet solitude over Greece, believe it or not.]
So now I’m getting to know God in a new, more tangible way: through R squad.
I thought I knew God well and in turn, knew what His followers looked like. Most times. But since Training Camp I’ve met more of His peopo, and now I’m not so sure I know God..
One of my squad leaders is Chelsea. She prays out loud like she’s conversing with God. She talks to him like he’s a daddy. She has a regular Bible but she also carries around a children’s Bible that she reads a lot. I’ve seen her talk out loud to herself sometimes. When I see her I think of Jesus. Like how she curses fig trees for not bearing fruit. And man, she prays for people as if she hears the deep needs they don’t initially communicate. She also banana-slaps us in the face when we’re least expecting it.
Our other squad leader, Greg, sat down with R squad the other night and he spent 5 minutes talking to us about a sentimental song that he wrote. We leaned in intently as he began to strum on the guitar. I jumped back in my chair because he began screeching like a pterodactyl [if I could tell you what those sound like.. it’d be this]. I’ll add that this guy is so filled with God’s Spirit and he calls out the greatness in others constantly. The same is true for the banana-slapper.
I don’t really know where I’m going with this because I want to say a lot more than I can in one blog. But what I’ll say is, our leaders are people who are intentional about inviting God’s presence into a prayer, they ask the holy spirit to come, and when He comes, the supernatural is present in the words that are spoken. There’s joy and tears, life and freedom taking place each time. And these Christians aren’t what I thought they’d be like. They’re even better. They’re real, down to earth, they study the Bible but they don’t spend a lot of time on how the text should be taken word for word and if we’re doing it right, and if we look like what Christians should look like based on each reference of every letter Paul wrote, and based on the standard of the church [people].
They look like Christians because they look like Jesus. They love God and they have the holy spirit, and the holy spirit teaches them about all those things I just mentioned that are hard to understand sometimes. They want to bring the Kingdom. And everything else about them might look a little odd at first glance..
But there’s no one I would rather eat meals with and squish in buses with and pick my wedgies around. They teach me that God is so much bigger than I thought, not because of His power and miracles and gifts, but because they are a unique expression of Him.. they are just themselves.
What I learned at training camp is reaffirmed to me and over and over again: God wants me to be and empowers me to be, fully myself. Not a self-made Christian. When I live out of the personality and the freedom and the self that He made me I actually honor Him. I truly bear His image. Then I can leave real expressions of Him everywhere I go all over the world.
Not to mention, I'm gaining momentum in freedom and identity like its my biz.
"So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them." Genesis 1:27
"I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well." Psalm 139:14
Thanks to everyone who is supporting me by following my stories, praying & giving financially! Praise God I have surpassed the $12,000 mark and I'm only in need of $3,340 by December! I'm so confident in God's call on my life and His provision. If you would like to give towards that remaining amount you can visit the "Support Me" link in the left column of my blog page. I miss everyone back home, but I am loving everything God is doing and teaching me here!
Love,
E