I can hardly believe it, but I am in the middle of month SEVEN of my Race! It feels like I’ve been traveling the world FOREVER, but in reality it has not been that long. Seven months goes by SO fast! During this journey I have learned tons about God, life, love, joy, pain, sorrow…you name it…there’s a good chance I might have experienced it to some degree. With that said, I want to give you a little insight on what it’s been like out here on the World Race. To start, I want to share with you a little bit about WR community.
So, as you probably know I am on a squad with over 40 beautiful individuals I call my “squad mates”. Then, the entire squad is broken up into 6 teams. My team is composed of 6 lovely ladies who I now consider my family. Each one of us are very different and therefore we learn so much from each other’s varying perspectives on life. Together, we laugh, cry, minister, pray, and since we are basically almost NEVER apart (thanks to the good ole’ “buddy rule”) we pretty much are beginning to know each other inside and out. We are together so much that if we are apart for even a short time…it just feels weird. In short, I really love my team. I am very aware of how huge a gift it was for God to have placed me with this group of genuine, kind, loving, and beautiful ladies to learn from, grow with, and be blessed by!
So, how do we keep such a tight community healthy?
One of the tools we were given at Training Camp is called “Feedback”. Feedback is where we gather daily as a team and give each other positive and constructive encouragement. (Nowadays, we have learned how to do this “in the moment”.) Constructive feedback is given from team mate to team mate, in a loving way, concerning areas where we believe there can be growth. Positive feedback is where we call out the greatness in each other in different areas we have seen. Upon receiving feedback, our only response should be “Thank you.” If you have been given feedback you don’t agree with, you must pray and sit on it for 24 hours before having a discussion about it. I love this discipline because it allows for the person giving the feedback to be heard and also allows for the person that receives the feedback to go to God about what was said before being tempted to gossip or speak immediately out of offense. (There have been many times where I’ve received feedback that I didn’t agree with at first, but after seeking the Lord about it, realize there was truth in it and then agreed with God about the growth He wanted to do in me.)
Sound scary? I admit…at the beginning of the race I was TERR-I-FIED. I have always been one of those people that get really upset when I get in “trouble”. When I hurt someone unintentionally or say something I shouldn’t have I have always beaten myself up worse than anyone else ever could. Now, I see Feedback as a beautiful GIFT. It’s an opportunity to communicate how we are feeling, express our needs, and love one another by being honest in a safe environment. I have learned not only to humbly receive constructive feedback but to willingly ask for it, because I WANT others to tell me how I can grow and love better. I also have grown in that I am no longer afraid of giving constructive feedback. Me, being the sensitive person that I am, have always been afraid of hurting someone’s feelings by telling them that they hurt mine (silly, huh?). But now I choose to not deny someone else the chance to grow by not calling them out on something. I also have learned to honor what God has put on my heart for someone even if speaking it out means being bold.
We also have learned to never tolerate gossip or slander. If in fact a team mate comes to me talking negatively about someone else, I then have the Godly responsibility and boldness to gracefully shut that conversation down and to encourage that person to immediately go to the one they have an offense with and work it out. If within 24 hours they do not work it out, I will go with them to do so. That may sound harsh but it’s Biblical. (Matthew 18:15-17) One of the greatest lessons I’ve learned in the last year is that whether you are in community, in your family, or in your workplace, HONOR is vitally important. Jesus always chose honor. In the Bible, Ruth chose honor and as a result, her line of descendents included Jesus Christ himself. One choice to honor instead of slander can change everything. One choice to honor someone for the gifts they carry and for being the valuable child of God that they are, glorifies the Lord and could change that person’s life.
So, I must admit, community on the race is not always rainbows and butterflies. Sometimes it’s really messy. On the race, we walk through many trying times together. Every country we go to, we are broken more and more and we are together every step of the way, figuratively and literally. I’ve chosen not to just embrace this community I’m in, but I’ve chosen to embrace what I’ve learned about healthy relationships for long after the race ends.
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Guess what? I’m almost fully funded! I have $543 left to raise! If you would like to help me reach my final goal, you can donate through this page if you click on the “Support Me” link on the left-hand side of the page! Thank you so very much! I could not do this without you!
