“You will lose friends.”
Oh, thanks, Pastor. That wasn’t exactly the response I was looking for. Then again, when has anything on the Race been what I have been looking for?
Before painting last week a Pastor, I’ll call him Ben, sat with us and spoke some prophetic words over us (it’s casual). He told Heather she was a warrior. He told me I would lose friends… Sick.
The funny thing is Ben seemed more excited for me than Heather. I think he may be a little crazy. He told me I “captured his heart” when I said I didn’t want to return home from the Race the same person I was when I left.
So Ben, heart captured and all, provided an uplifting word: “you will lose friends.” At first this wasn’t all that exciting for me. Actually, it still isn’t. But as I have had the time to reflect on it I’ve realized throughout the Race and when I get home I will lose, and continue to lose, friends. And that’s okay- at least, I’m telling myself that. To be honest, I’d rather keep all of my friends. They are rad and loving and thought-provoking and funny as heck.
Let me be clear, I don’t want to lose friends. I don’t want to come home and lose friends because of my faith. Because of the person the World Race helped me become.
But not everyone loved Jesus, and not everyone needs to love me. The Bible says:
“If the world hates you, understand that it hated me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own. However, because you are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of it, the world hates you. Remember the word I spoke to you: ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you. If they kept my word, they will also keep yours.”
~ John 15:18-20
Now is a good time to tell my friends back home I love you. I love you now that I’m gone more than I loved you when we were together. And whether I talk to you everyday or never again I will always love you. I will always care about you and your story. Because that’s who Jesus is to His core. I don’t want to be the person I was when I left, I want to be more like Jesus. Thank you for shaping me and for loving me.
