Since my last blog, much has changed in my life! I graduated high school with my associate degree, we moved to a house on the lake, and I am no longer on crutches!
Most recently, I have just returned from 10 days of World Race Training Camp! WOW. Training camp was a messy and beautiful experience of tenting, bucket showers, and portapotties. I’ll tell ya, smelling and feeling one with nature, eating a variety of foods, coexisting with many bugs, and trudging through mud every day will certainly teach you about appreciating your daily luxuries. I’m sitting on my comfy couch with glorious AC, electricity, and running water all at my disposal as I write this, smiling comfortably and contenly.
At training camp, I met the people I will be traveling and living with for nine months of my life! I learned all about the different cultures and ministries we will be immersed in, and I practiced living without some of the things I am so accustomed to. I was stretched and challenged and amazed by what happens when so many people who love the Lord meet in the same place. Even though I smelled horrible, was often hungry, and very exhausted, the Lord met me where I was and spoke over my soul. I heard His voice loudly and with so much love as I continued to feel affirmation in my obedience to go and further His kingdom.
Creedence Clearwater Revival’s famous lyrics hit me hard this past week:
“Someone told me long ago
There’s a calm before the storm
I know it’s been comin’ for some time
I want to know
Have you ever seen the rain?
Comin’ down on a sunny day?
Yesterday and days before
Sun is cold and rain is hard
I know been that way for all my time
‘Til forever, on it goes
Through the circle, fast and slow
I know it can’t stop, I wonder”
My mom has taught me how to be a pluviophile, one who loves the rain. I have memories of a small, terrified version of myself frantically ushering her and my sister to stop taking photos and admiring the sky during a hailstorm and instead seek shelter quickly. I guess you could say I’ve always been a realist as one who tends to sense and react to danger with great caution.
This being said, I very naturally see the dangers that will exist in my lifestyle on the world race. Like the song, I’ve seen this big, scary storm looming towards me in the distance for a while. The past few months have been a struggle of race-related anticipatory fear and anxiety. I’ve felt the calm before the storm for so long, knowing but not yet feeling the many changes God is going to use to grow me while I am gone. It wasn’t until training camp that I was able to look at the storm and see the beauty that awaits. Just a glance around during worship and so much freedom could be witnessed in the faces of the racers around me. Freedom to become excited for what is to come. Freedom to let go of past hurts and current hindrances. Freedom to close our eyes and look up at the Lord’s plan. Freedom to raise our arms and dance, feeling and trusting His prominent presence. This freedom would not have been felt or experienced if we had not all learned a very valuable lesson the days before: humility. Through the nasty humidity and dirt and rain, God taught us that He is greater. He is so much greater. Greater than any worldly inconvenience or discomfort. After He replaced our privileged prescriptions with lenses of humility and grace, we were able to rejoice in the rain. Speaking of rain, that storm I mentioned earlier is approaching in just six weeks, and I couldn’t be more excited.
I could tell you so much more about my experiences at TC and what the Lord did, but let me just sum it up by saying…
It began to rain,
& it was beautiful!
****My route changed again and now I will be going to Thailand, Malaysia, India, and Costa Rica!
I still have shirts for sale, contact me if you’d like one!!!
THANK YOU to all who have been following this journey of mine.
Much Love,
–Lexi Hatten
