So we’ve been gone from each other for just a few days now and it already seems like a lifetime. Geez, I genuinely miss everything about you guys. Even the little things that drove me up a wall from time to time. Well, most of the time. I miss your faces. I miss your laughs. Heck, I even miss your hugs. I find myself wondering what you’re doing throughout the day. I wonder where you are and if you’re happy or not. I know your family is ecstatic to see you and to hold you. But this isn’t about that family…it’s about this family. M-Squad. The best family I’ve ever had. So here’s to us…
**Picks up a glass and gets Gabe to get everybody's attention**
We did it.
Congrats.
If you’re like me, you’re still probably asking yourself if this thing is really over. God knows I wish it wasn’t. But it’s probably necessary. After all, had it been another month there’s no telling who we’d have to bail out of jail for jumping off the deep end and killing somebody.
It wasn’t always perfect and I’m sure if we could start back over, we’d all do things differently. I know I would. I would’ve laughed more. I wouldn’t have taken things so seriously. I wouldn’t have lounged around as much and caught up on Glee at times when I could’ve been having a conversation. I would’ve cried more. I would’ve fought more for everything and everybody. I would’ve picked up more kids and played the games they wanted to play. I would’ve hugged all of you until you got sick of it – not have it be the other way around.
This isn’t about the what if’s though, this is about the beautiful accomplishments we had as a squad…as a family. That despite everything the enemy threw our way – we came out on top. We conquered it all … and we did it together.
We are conquerors.
And because of our willingness to simply say yes – our hand prints will be all over this place for the rest of eternity.
Eternity.
Let that sink in for a minute. And at times we thought 11 months was a long time…
We went everywhere from Costa Rica to LA to Thailand and to India.
We stayed in houses, huts, tents, shacks, hotels so nice we had a pillow menu, airports, train stations, buses, and a house straight out of a horror movie with a lady named Eunice.
We ate rice, beans, eggs, rice, noodles, chicken, manuder cheese, more rice, crickets, tarantulas, rice, goat, water buffalo, curry, rice, and countless other things that nobody else would believe or ever choose to eat back at home.
We worked with the homeless, taught in schools, prayed over the least of these and then watched as they returned the favor, did door to door evangelism, loved people with special needs, dug some holes – well, Will did, worked on a website or two, preached a gazillion sermons and sang 'Tooty Ta' with thousands of children.
We saw Mt Everest, the Petronas Towers, the Taj, Angkor Wat and Angkor What? [What up, Joel], the ‘Big 5’ in Africa, Mayan ruins, the Nile River and the most beautiful beaches in the world [unless you were on my team].
We laughed till we cried, cried till we couldn’t anymore, pooped our pants…a lot, pee’d out a window or two, danced in the rain, star tripped on a mountain, made a courtyard out of our tents that led to a nutella scandal, ran in a 5k, took part in Song Kran, white water rafted, bungeed, played countless games of poop, hearts, and dutch. We saw movies for cheap, went on safaris that reminded us of the Lion King and even made a couple music videos.
Mostly though?
We loved.
Mannnnnnnnnnnnnn, did we love.
And so did He.
We saw the real God.
Through our messes, tears and flat out horrible moments – He showed up. Every time. He went ahead and won the battles we had no shot at winning alone . He did it all. The Holy Spirit cleansed us with grace and mercy. He was there for each one of us every step of the way and if I know anything about the God we serve and adore, He’s smiling down on us for sticking it out and finishing this season of the Race that He’s called us all to.
And like always, we did it together.
We put our own dreams through the shredder. We fought the lies and struggles with comparisons that had no place in our hearts and in our heads. We learned that our past struggles and sins will not define who we are from this point going forward. We learned more about our identity than we even knew imaginable. We learned about compassion and the fruits of the spirit [which you can still use for feedback by the way…]. We learned how to walk humbly and live out justice every step of the way.
We did it at first because He called us to it. Now we do it because it’s not just something to do, it’s our life. And life sure is good when we get out of the way, isn’t it?
Sit back. Rest. Relax. Let Him romance your heart in this season. You deserve it.
So here’s to all of us.
**Takes a drink**
**Be on the lookout for a new blog coming soon about some exciting things the Lord is doing in this new season of my life**
