So in June 2009 I left on the World Race with 33 other people. We were called the I-Squad. We joked often while on the race that the "I" made us a selfish squad. "I". Me. Its all about me. And we definitely struggled through ALOT of that while on the field. But I have decided that its time to reclaim the "I" in I-Squad. Since returning from the World Race in April 2010 (oh my goodness, that was 1 YEAR ago), I have seen God move and work in all my I-Squad family in 2 ways: Intimacy and Identity. It seems whenever I catch up with someone we end up talking about deeper intimacy with God and rooting our identities in Christ.
(Becky and I being selfish and starting a fight….)
These are things God has DEFINITELY been speaking to me about in this season. I have learned that most of my insecurities, my fears, my "issues" stem from a misplaced identity. When my identity is rooted in people or what I own or what I do, I am not happy with who I am. I feel like a loser. I feel like a failure at life. But, when my identity is rooted firmly in Christ, I have so much joy. No matter the situation I am in. I feel encouraged, I feel loved. I want to encourage and love others. I get excited for where God has me next. I realize that who I am is a daughter of God.
(Daughters of God!)
And how do I find my identity? How do I grow my roots deeper in Christ? Intimacy. Without intimacy with God, I can't grow in my identity as a daughter. If who I am is God's child, how can I expect to know me and Him as my Father, if I am not spending time with Him? If I am not pursuing Him? God has taught me so much about intimacy these past few months of being home. I have learned there is no magical formula to intimacy. Different seasons lead to different forms of intimacy. There is no perfect picture of what intimacy looks like. It looks different for each person. But, no matter the season, no matter what it looks like, intimacy results are the same: deeper in God, and deeper in our identities.
So, fellow I-Squaders, brothers and sisters, let us drop the selfish "I" and pick the i's of intimacy and identity. Let us claim them over ourselves and over those we meet. When World Race reunions happen we will no longer dwell on us as a self-focused squad, but as a squad who has experience the transformation of identity, rooted in intimacy with our Father!
(My I-Squad Family!!! Love you!)
******I am kinda obsessed with identity and intimacy. Seriously. Ask my Kenya Real Life team. Pretty much everyday I talked about these things. In my opinion, it all comes back to those two i's. And I am excited to share my passion this summer with my next Real Life team! I still need $2,700 by June 1st in order to reach my goal of $3,000. Please pray about supporting me and click on the Support Me link on the left (under my profile picture). I know God can provide, and maybe He wants to use you to do so!**********
