It’s 5:45 on Tuesday morning. The day before I leave for training camp in Gainesville, Georgia. This time tomorrow morning I’ll be a ball of nerves as I sip my coffee and use my beloved hair dryer for the last time…well for the next 10 days anyway! (YIKES) In 24 hours I leave and I still desperately need to organize, sort, and pack up my foreign gear that I will become so familiar with over this next year. I’ve planned on packing now for about the past 3 days or so, and while I’ve slowly started gathering things and running last minute trips to Wal-Mart for things like baby wipes (apparently the equivalent of gold at training camp as showers are few and far between) and a travel toothbrush, I cannot finish packing until I share a word that God has placed on my heart for over two months as I have been praying and preparing for Training Camp and the World Race. I should have written it two months ago or at least way before now and I can’t concentrate on packing until I get this out there.
Like I mentioned before, I am incredibly nervous for training camp. But not for reasons like, living in a tent, testing out my gear, and being subject to the semi scary stories I’ve heard we will be exposed to as we prepare for this venture. I’m nervous, so nervous, to meet my squad. The people I will be living with, leaning on, encouraging, reflecting with, and acting as family to, over this next year.
Community is HARD. True community living is challenging, stretching, scary, and fragile. But, when you gather a few people who are willing to do the hard work and press into everything, the good AND the bad, community living can be the most beautiful, freeing, and bonding experience I have ever had the honor of being a part of.
As I reflect on the painful and wonderful times of my past experiences of living in community, I can’t help but feel both nervous and excited to walk into a season where community will be such a blatant part of my life. As I started talking with God and some close friends about my fears, in particular about starting from scratch with this new group of people, one word was placed on my heart. One that has brought me much comfort over these past few months as I prepare for Training Camp and the Race…
EMPATHY – the understanding and sharing of the emotions and experiences of another person.
As I have reflected over this word and how it correlates with the painful and wonderful times of different communities I have been involved with over the past 5+ years, I realize that it largely was due to a great show of empathy or a lack of…either on my part or that of those around me.
I am excited to be heading into a season of ministering, serving and pouring out to the people of this world that I will have the honor of coming in contact with. I am also feeling anxious about bonding with my squad…I want to be completely open and vulnerable and don’t want to keep any barriers between us, SO THAT we can carry out our roles in each country to the best of our ability and lean completely on each other in the process. I know the reason this small yet mighty word was placed on my heart was because of how I personally have felt and bonded with people who have shown great empathy towards me.
So, after having said all of that, to my I-Squad and the rest of the squads gearring up for training camp this next week, know this… I have been praying and asking that we will have empathetic hearts towards one another. That we wouldn’t be overwhelmed or annoyed with each others stories and short comings but that we would meet each other exactly where we are and understand each others hearts like we had been friends for years.
I’m so excited and still so nervous to meet you all but I know that with heartbeats of empathy we will act as family in no time and be a healthy and thriving team on a mission to make HIS perfect empathetic heart known to the people of this world!
“Let love be genuine. Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good. Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor. Do not be slothful in zeal, be fervent in spirit, serve the Lord. Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer. Contribute to the needs of the saints and seek to show hospitality. Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them. Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep. Live in harmony with one another. Do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly. Never be wise in your own sight.” Romans 12:9-16
Now, it’s time for me to pack!
