As we arrived in the Dominican Republic, my soul was feeling empty and i couldn’t pinpoint what the issue was. We were set to have Debrief for the first 5 days of the month which is a time that the squad comes back together for rest, relaxation, and spiritual teachings with our Squad Coaches, Mentor, and Leaders. I felt so lonely during those few days that i barely even wanted to leave the hotel room. I knew something was not right in my spirit.
Our last week in Puerto Rico we spent a few days doing manual labor after staying busy with ministry for 2 weeks. I enjoyed doing the work and getting my hands dirty but during that time i honestly had let myself forget about the Lord and seeking him every day. When we were doing ministry it was easy to keep my focus on reading my bible and journaling but as soon as we had finished with ministry, i just turned the switch off and got lazy. God quickly began to reveal to me that if i wanted to grow closer to Him this year, then it was my job to put the effort in to see the results that i desire to see on this journey.
This year is about personal growth as much as anything and the truth of the matter is, the ministry alone will not do it for you. We have to be diligent in seeking God every chance we get. It is very much true that you will never have as much free time as you do while on the Race and the most important thing is how you use that time. Its easy to get caught up in thinking about home and how much you miss your bed or how much you miss a hot shower or how much you miss your favorite meal. The reality is that those days are going to come and its up to you how you handle them. I have had several of those days already and some of them have turned out okay but others have not and i only have myself to blame.
Debrief quickly came to an end and it was time for us to head to our ministry site in Lajas, DR where our entire squad would be together. Those few days had been tough but the down time had allowed me to get back on track with the Lord and gain a better understanding of what it was going to take to make this year a successful one. God showed me that in order to see Him move, all we have to do is choose joy, have a positive attitude and give 100% every single day no matter what we are doing and He will work in and through us.
