This blog is a little different. For Christmas, I wrote letters to all of my teammates and squad leader. Below are the letters they each received. I’m not the greatest with actual gifts that can be bought, but they say that my words were more than enough.
Dear AK,
You’re a jewel. Your smile is infectious, as well as your laughter. Your awkwardness always brings a smile to my face, and I love watching you be yourself. You love all of us so well. I loved the moment we learned we both used to play violin and trombone. That was just a great moment for me. You’re willing to do whatever is asked of you, and you do it without question. You have fun while you work, making the experience more enjoyable for those working with you.
It’s so sweet to watch you play with kids and make them your best friend. It’s like you latch onto one kid, and they’re yours for the entire time we’re at that place. You bring joy into their life and make them feel loved. You help children feel the love of Christ because of how well you love them. This love can only come from Jesus, and you can only give it when you feel and believe it over yourself. You walk in the identity of being a daughter of Christ, and you help children find their identity in Christ. You’ve forgiven and let go of the pain that has held you back for so long. You’re walking in freedom from that past self, embracing this new time in life where you are seeing things in a different light. You really do love us well, and I do feel loved by you. Have a merry Christmas, girl. I love you.
Dear Lillian,
You are wise and commendable. You lead us well and you give us an example to look up to. You walk uprightly before the Lord, and you don’t stumble easily. You worship the Lord with everything you have, and I love watching you. It’s so beautiful to see you connect with the Lord and let Him wash over you in those moments. You care for others and long to help them. Even if you don’t have the words, you show that you do feel whatever pain they’re feeling, and you do care. I see it. I’m glad you’re on this team. You help us have fun and show us what it looks like to be free. You don’t let anything hold you down. You walk in freedom and you’re secure in your identity. You stay consistent in all things. You don’t stop until the job is done, and you do it without complaining. I really do love you, and I know that the Lord loves you so much more than I ever could. He sees you and longs to hold you. He just wants to hug you and hold you in His arms. He’s strong enough to carry what you’re feeling. He sees you, and He’s so proud of you. It’s okay to let go and let Him work. The Lord truly looks after you and feels your pain. He loves you, my dear. He loves you so much. Let this season be one of joy and redemption. This is a new time, and He wants to see you flourish. I love you, girl.
Dear Destiny,
You are a star in God’s eyes. You unlock the treasure within people that most don’t see. Your smile lights up a room, and your laugh brings joy to the ears that hear it. You have a kind heart, and you care for others deeply. You love well, and you’re learning to love yourself even more. You’re continuing to find out who you are in God and it’s a beautiful thing to see you blossom into a strong, fierce woman of God. You follow the voice of the Holy Spirit and you never leave unfulfilled. The Lord has always shown you someone to go to, and He will continue to do so. He loves you so much, and He smiles so brightly when He sees His daughter go out and find more of His children. You truly have grown so much since training camp. You’ve let the Lord reshape your thinking about yourself and instill truths into your mind. You’ve become more confident and carefree. You learn to embrace the crazy and not freak out immediately. I know that’s been a growing process, but you’re embracing it well. You’re learning to rely on God and continually turn to Him to find out who you are. You don’t let the opinions of others dictate your behavior or character. You dwell in His peace and you don’t become shaken easily. There have been a lot of firsts for you, but you’ve taken them on in confidence. You don’t let fear hold you back from something new. It’s been a pleasure to see you sparkle these past few months. You’re becoming a beautiful woman. I’m glad I get to be a part of your life during this time. I love you, girl.
Dear Emily,
You are something special. You love to do new things and meet new people. You continually seek after the Lord and His opinion of you. You see people where they are and just love them. You have an open heart and an open mind in all things. You willingly go after the ones who need love the most, even if it’s hard to love them. You let Christ flow through you during ministry, encouraging everyone you see and acknowledging their work. You give kids a new best friend, even though it’s for a short time. You take advantage of the time you have and you use it well. You give people a glimpse of Jesus and His love for them. You make us feel loved as well. You reach out when we try to hide away, bringing us back into the light and helping us. You don’t turn me away when I need a friend. Even when I don’t want to talk about what’s going on, you still make me feel loved and you remind me that I have someone who will listen. You spread kindness and love wherever you are. You draw out the good in others and make sure they’re heard. Even at training camp, you asked for my opinion during the team bonding exercises. You acknowledging me made me feel like I did matter, even if I only met y’all a few days ago. You make sure everyone feels included, calling them over to join in. It’s a beautiful thing to watch. Thank you for making me feel loved. I love you.
Dear Luba,
You are a ball of sunshine. You just radiate with joy and creativity. You’re not afraid to be outside-of-the-box, and that’s awesome. You sometimes make me question your sanity, but I have to remember that’s just who you are. You’ve shown me how to have fun these past three months, and it’s been a blast. You pull me out of my comfort zone and show me how much fun I can have with a group. You’ve let me edit your blogs, and reading them has shown me how much you’ve grown in your faith. You’ve let God pull you out of your past, giving you a new identity as a daughter of Christ. I know you’re still growing and figuring out what that looks like, but I can see that you don’t carry that pain anymore. You’ve learned to let God heal you and accept the ravishing love He has for you. He loves you so much, and He just wants to lavish it all on you. He sees you in those darkest moments and holds your hand in the darkest valleys. He calls you out of darkness and into His marvelous light. He wants to shine on you and see you become complete in Him. He treasures you and looks after you. Even when you thought He wasn’t there, He was. He wasn’t finished with you, and He still isn’t. He has so much in store for you, and I hope that I’m there to see just a glimpse of it. I love you, dear, and I pray you continue to seek His face in all things.
Dear Emmy,
You’ve been my friend since training camp. You are my book buddy and my cheerleader. You know when to give me space and you accept me with open arms when I need to talk. You see me and help me process things when I need to talk it out. You love me unconditionally, and you’ve helped me find my place in the team. You have been a great treasurer, and now you are a great team leader. You are humble and compassionate. Your quirky nature always makes me smile, even when it’s over the stupidest stuff. You don’t let anything hold you back from being yourself. You go after God with everything that you have. You find time to spend with Him even in the places where He would seem absent. You listen to the Holy Spirit, and you boldly go and speak whatever it is He is speaking. You’re a gem. You’re pure and holy in His eyes. He looks on you and smiles. He is so proud of you and all that you’re doing. It’s amazing how much you’ve blossomed on this journey. You’re finding your identity in him and you’re letting Him shape you into who you are called to be. You’re becoming more like Jesus every day as you let His love flow into you and through you. You are gentle and honest. You love nature, and that’s one of the things that makes you you. You see beauty in the natural world, but you also see it in the spiritual realms. You call out beauty wherever you see it. It’s truly a beautiful sight. I love you, my dear. I pray we grow together as time continues.
Dear Cassie,
You are a great squad leader. I was so glad when I found out that you would be with my team during the Race. Getting to know you at training camp gave me a lot more peace about all of changes going on. I’ve loved hearing about your family and how much you love them. Your roots go deep into your family. Your story has shown me a whole different side to you. It’s truly a miracle to see how far God has brought you from those moments. You’ve been my friend and leader. You are willing to pray for us and help us when we need it. Honestly, I’ve been so grateful for all of the times that you’ve held me while I’ve cried. It’s good to know that I can lean on my squad leader when I’m having a hard time. I’ve seen so much love flow from you onto us. You give of yourself so much to us, and I couldn’t be more thankful of all that you’ve done. I cherish all of the times you’ve answered my endless questions and listened to me. You really do make me feel loved, and I’m glad to call you my squad leader. I hope you have a merry Christmas, Cass. I love you.
Happy New Year! You’ll hear from me again in 2019!
