My calendar says it’s only been ten days, but my heart says it’s been months, as in such a short amount of time, I’ve knitted my heart to my squad, my team, and the wonderful people serving at Adventures in Missions.
I think it’d be rather easy to write a blog about me and my experiences at training camp. I could talk about the port-a-potties and bucket showers, give advice to future racers, or breakdown each day for you, my dear readers. But I don’t really want to do that. Instead, I want to tell you about the times I saw God so clearly while I was at training camp in Gainsville, Georgia. His presence emanates through that place and you can feel His goodness rolling over you when you walk the grounds. So, let me tell you about who my God is and a small sample of where and when I saw him at training camp.
My God is God of…
Comfort; I’m in my tent on the first night of camp. Sweat is dripping down my forehead and pooling around my neck, soaking the tiny travel pillow resting under my head. My sleeping pad feels much to hot and no matter where I put my arms, they feel awkward and uncomfortable. Doubt clouds swirl in my mind, telling me this isn’t the life for me, these people aren’t my people, and leaving for 11 months is absolutely absurd.
I take a deep breath and roll over in my tent, trying one more time to get comfortable. Frustrated, I opened my eyes, only to have my heart skip a beat at the beauty before me. The light of the nearly full moon filtered down through the netting at the top of my tent and I heard a quiet whisper remind me–This moon is the same moon Jesus walked under; the same as Paul, Jacob, Issac, Abraham…any faithful person who listened and obeyed walked and slept under the light of this same moon.
As I let this realization and the beauty of nature calm me, I started to hear the sound of someone playing guitar off in the distance.
The comforting presence of God slowly swaddled me as I drifted off to sleep under the watchful gaze of the moon, comforted into knowing that despite my fears, I am in good company.
Peace; I wandered camp without anything really to do. I hiked up the Big Hill (future racers here’s my one piece of advice– prepare your calves and glutes) to see if I could find anyone from the squad. Sounds of worship drifted on a light breeze to me from the front porch, so I decided to investigate.
There sitting in rocking chairs were a handful of my squadmates with an acoustic guitar, smiles on their faces, and praise on their lips. I was welcomed with open arms and together we had the most relaxed worship service of my life.
I closed my eyes as I rocked gently in my chair. The light breeze that day combined with the shade of the front porch made for a much needed cool afternoon, and I stopped sweating for the first time since I got to camp.
Peace beyond understanding settled on the porch with us. Through worship we found rest, a small moment of calm in what had, up to that point, been an exhausting and hectic training camp. And it happened organically from our choices and our heart’s desires to thank the One who brought us all together.
Joy; Nine girls from my squad were all stuffed like sardines into one large “community tent” for the night with all our big packs, day packs, and sleeping pads. You couldn’t hardly move without hitting someone else. It was hot and privacy was long forgotten.
I don’t know what started it, but soon we all had the giggles. As we all rolled around on the ground laughing at everything from Oprah to Scooby Doo to weddings, I felt like a middle schooler again at a sleepover with her best friends laughing the night away.
I know we were “that tent” being way too loud as others close to us tried to sleep, but we didn’t care. We were soaking too much in the joy of our union in Christ. Only through freedom in Him could we laugh until we cried and share the sweetness of sisterhood, forged in such a short amount of time but stretching to deep intimacy that sometimes takes years to achieve.
The freedom of intimate community and the ability to see one another as Christ see us –truly, beautifully, and wholly saved by grace– brought us such a sweet joy.
Community; We worked out in the mornings as one community. We shared each meal family style, from one plate, as a community. We slept literally head to toe multiple times together. We sang Christmas carols together…a lot… for some reason (we’re all kind of goofy).
And we worshiped together, prayed together, prayed for one another, laid hands and saw healing for one another, received visions and words from the Holy Spirit for each other, and we found freedom together.
We are a community; we are a church.
God did not design us to walk alone. Jesus himself clearly highlighted community in how He and the disciples chose to live, travel, and minister to the world. Truly, I’m so delighted to have done it all together under Christ’s example and to get to do it together for Eleven. Whole. Months.
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42 days until launch, 68% funded…. Lord, keep my eyes to serve and my hands to learn!
