On Family and Friends

I just got back from a long walk in my neighborhood, which is something I've taken to doing in this unseasonably warm winter. As I was strolling (I am not a runner) I was listening to worship music and admiring the beautiful sunset God once again blessed me with. My mind began to stray to recent happenings, like the holidays, and the upcoming adventure of the World Race….all of which prompted my inspiration for this next blog post.

The holiday season was wonderful for me this year! I got to celebrate Thanksgiving and Christmas 3 times each with all kinds of close and extended family; this was all topped off by a great New Year's Eve filled with giant desserts, laughter, and friends. Of course, throughout all of this, in the back of my mind was the knowledge that I wouldn't be at any family celebrations in 2013. I tried to push that thought away so  I could really focus on enjoying the present moment- and it was probably one of my favorite holiday seasons in memory. This doesn't erase the fact that I'll miss out next year though. There's other big things I'm going to miss out on too, like…

my sister Patrice's college graduation
                 my baby sister Lilly's sophomore year of high school
      the Parker family Hamptons beach trip
                                                Lilly getting her learner's permit
                                                                                a couple weddings of close friends
         a whole season of New Girls and all my other TV shows

Ok so the last one wasn't that serious, but most of these are pretty big things! I think that above all, I'm really just going to miss being with my family. When I was in college, I was the person that left for breaks as early as possible and came back just as late. I really love being at home, in Richmond, with my family. When I moved to Lynchburg and had to say bye to Lilly, I wept like a baby. You get the point; I love them. 

The great thing is that I have a Heavenly Father who loves me more than I can imagine and is already preparing me for this. When I looked at other Racer's blogs before I applied I saw how everyone referred to their squad as their family and couldn't believe how close they had become in such a short time etc. I'm not going to lie, I wasn't completely sold on it. But God had other plans. After accepting your position, you are invited to join the private Facebook group set up specifically for your squad. I'm sure all squads say this, but let me tell you, we have the best squad ever! We've had the privilege so far of being a relatively small group, so we have been able to talk and therefore get to know one another pretty well. I can't even begin to tell you the amount of love and support that everyone is so willing to pour out to one another. Each time a new member is added they are literally bombarded with welcomes to the "elite" squad. 

Our discussions so far have covered quite a range of topics. I'm sure there are some that most squads discuss like how did you write your support letter, where can I get vaccinations, what kind of technology are you bringing on the race, etc. But there are some things I am sure are uniquely our own:

                                            growing a Duck Dynasty style beard

     the boys forming a Wolfpack

                                 how much ranch dressing to bring for 11 months

                                                                                 is there a way to carry an entire Taco Bell with you

                                                 auctioning facial hair for support

                    traveling as if we are the hippie from Dual Survival

                                                            bringing a microwave and boombox on the trip

And so much more! They have also started doing video group chats so we can get to know each other even more (I am determined to actually be a part of one of those soon!!). But even more than all this craziness, we have been able to come together as a true family and the body of Christ to support one another. We have all been able to openly share prayer requests about really tough things going on in our lives, and there is immediate comfort and encouragement that follows each of these requests. We've all also been blessed by reading through Ephesians together and seeing how God is placing certain scriptures on our hearts for the Race and our squad specifically.

As I said when I started out, the idea for this particular blog came to mind as I was walking this afternoon. When I got on the computer to write, I first checked our Facebook group. Someone had just posted asking about what our biggest fears are for the Race and suggesting we pray through them together….is our God not amazing? And wonderful? And incredible? He orchestrates things in His timing. In other words, in perfect timing. My biggest fear is missing my family, but God is already opening my heart to a new family that He prepared ahead of time for me. He knew I was going to be part of the T squad family before I was even born, just like He knew I was going to part of the Gibson family. That thought overwhelms me with comfort and joy.