Since being on the World Race I’ve learned so much about discipleship and the importance of having a mentor. Having a person speak into your life is so crucial if you want to grow and be the best version of yourself. I’ve seen this in so many ways these past 9 months. My teammates have pushed me and challenged me to become the best version of myself. I have also had friends and family back home speak into my life while being on the field. Having this for the last 9 months has been amazing but I haven’t always had that consistency in my life.
Growing up my parents were great and we had a bond like no other. I was a daddy’s girl and my mom and I were best friends. They always encouraged me and told me I could be whoever I wanted to be and do whatever my heart desired. This was a great foundation for growing up. I always had the go-getter, “I can do whatever I want” mind set. However, this didn’t last forever when I was in middle school I started to push my parents away.
I was the typical teenager who didn’t want anything to do with them. They allowed for me to pull away from them and gave me complete space and freedom. This was such a crucial time in my life though, and with this new freedom, I took full advantage of it.
At this time, I had a wonderful friend, Liz, who was my mom’s coworker. She mentored me through those tough middle school years. She brought me to church every Wednesday and Sunday and spoke truth into my life. Although I had the I’m gonna do it anyways mind-set she was always right there to extend grace and point me back to Jesus. Unfortunately, we moved away from each other and the dynamics of our relationship changed.
Once I reached high school I was in a downward spiral and I didn’t care much about anyone or anything. I kept my I’m gonna do whatever I want act up. Which only led me to making some pretty terrible decisions. The person that influenced me most during this time was my best friend. We did everything together; when she was on a spiritual high, we both were and when I fell into sin so did she. She was my closest friend in high school, but sadly it was a really unhealthy relationship. The highs and lows of our friendship dictated so much of who I was and shaped me into relying on people instead of the Lord. My decisions completely changed who I was and how I viewed myself.
The end of my senior year of high school I started working at a catering company. My job was really scattered and I was always meeting new people. One night while working I met these really cool people (Rebekah and Journey). They talked about church and worship and how on Sunday they would go to lunch after church. Immediately I was drawn to them. There was something that they had that I desperately wanted. Awkwardly, they invited me to church that Sunday. I decided I would give their church a try. I thought, “What could it hurt?” These people seemed cool maybe the rest of the church was cool, too.
After a few Sundays at this church I began to fall in love. The church members welcomed me as their own, the pastors wife let me sit with her every Sunday because I didn’t know anyone else, and after church we always went out for Mexican. Later into my friendship with Rebekah and Journey, they invited me on a retreat for girls. They weaseled me into saying yes. And I’m so thankful for that ‘yes’. That weekend changed me in so many ways. I remember thinking, “Wow these girls are amazing! I defiantly want to continue to be friends with them.” But then I did a really stupid thing. I lied to Rebekah. She called me out and told me that it wasn’t okay and if I was going to be a Christian and serve God I had to start changing my life around. It was a total wake-up call for me.
I don’t think Rebekah knows how much that talk changed my life, but it did. Just by her simply calling me higher and telling me that how I was living wasn’t pleasing to God, changed so much for me. After that day, Rebekah and Journey have been so constant in my life. They have mentored me and spoke real truth into my life. They deeply care for me and love me even when I don’t think I deserve to be loved. They have pushed me and challenged me to grow in my faith. They have prayed with me, cried with me and extended grace when I’ve screwed up. My friendship with Rebekah and Journey has shaped me into the Christian that I am. I couldn’t be more thankful for who they are in my life.
Coming on the race I was scared of losing my best friends at home and not having the mentors that I have grown to love and cherish back at home. However, that hasn’t been the case and God has provided above and beyond for those needs. I have been blessed to have so many people on my squad really pour into my life and mentor me along the way. On my first team, I met my now bestie, Juliana, who has been my greatest mentor on the race. We thought that they would split us up at our first team changes, but they didn’t and we have had the privilege to continue walking the race out together. She shows me Jesus daily. She prays with and for me, cries with me and loves me unconditionally even when I force snuggle her. Ju and I share a lot of the same past and she has been able to speak into areas of my life. I am so grateful to have had her these last 9 months and to walk out this crazy life we’re living right now.
When I was thinking over my life and how I wanted to write my testimony into a blog I kept thinking about what shaped me the most. What had the most impact on my life? What things did I lack in my life that I needed so desperately? I could only come up with one thing: the people that I surrounded myself with, the people who I chose to speak into such crucial times in my life. The thing in my life that changed me and impacted me were the people who were speaking into my life, whether it was a negative or positive roll model, they impacted me.
Discipleship is so important while growing up, and heck even now as an adult I still need to have someone speaking truths in to my life! I need that so I will be constantly changing and growing to become my best self. I think that the youth today are so important and they need more. They need mentors in their life who will call them higher and change the course of their life. I know that throughout my high school years, if I had had the right mentor, or someone to speak truth into my life, I wouldn’t have walked through so many hard things.
I want to give that to somebody else. I want to disciple other young girls and teach them about their worth and identity in the Lord. The Lord gave me my testimony so that I can share it with so many other people and help to transform their lives from a life of fear and shame to a life of freedom. Discipleship has become so important to me, because I know what life looks like with and without it, and now I want to use what I’ve learned to continue discipling other’s toward a greater fullness in the Lord. PEACE
