Team changes! That’s right, we are headed to India with new teams. There will be a blog coming regarding these lovely new teammates of mine but for now, here’s a letter to my team I’ve done life with for the past six months.
Phileo, this one is for you.
My dearest teammates,
In John 13, right before Jesus washes his disciples feet it says, “Jesus knew that the hour had come for him to leave this world and go to the Father. Having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end.” Now, my dearest Phileo members, I’m here to tell you that, having Christ in me, I am going to try my hardest to replicate his love in saying that I will love you to the end. And let me tell you, I am so beyond grateful for everything you’ve given me. Thank you for the millions of laughs over the last six months, especially the ones that pushed us all to the point peeing. Thanks for the endless inside jokes that no one else willl ever understand, or peharps care about. Thank you for holding my vulnerable moments well and for pushing me into more vulnerabilty by example. Thank you for speaking life into me and seeking the Lord alongside me. My thanks for all you’ve given me as a team and as individuals could go on but, that’s not actually why I love you or why I am going to continue to love you.
I am choosing to love you knowing that love is, in fact, a choice and a risk. I am choosing to love you not because I want or expect anything in return but because the love of God has been revealed to me in and through you seven beautiful souls. I’ve spent the last six months of my life seeing the Lord in new ways every single day because you each carry his light, love, and truth in a way noone else does. Having been constantly surrounded by such a thing as this, I do believe that my soul is bound to love each of you, truly and deeply, for the rest of eternity.
I don’t know what it will look like to love you from here on out. Frankly, it won’t be hugs every day, back scratches, or buying you your favorite treats, which really sucks. I can tell you that I will be praying for you. I will be fighting alongisde you in this next season and I will be fighting for you when we go home. I can tell you that I will always want to see you succeed in what the Lord has for you. I will be the listening ear when you need it and I will not shy away from speaking into you when the Father asks me to. I may not be your go-to person everytime hard things hit anymore, but whenever you ask I will still be there. I still want to cry with you and I want to celebrate with you; I want to keep doing this messy thing called life with you as much as I can.
Sara, Elise, Claire, Sara Mac, Justus, Sam, and John Mark- thank you for loving me with a phileo love straight from heaven. Thank you for being really you and allowing me to be really me. You’ve shown me love and grace like I’ve never known it and you really have changed my life for the better.
Love,
Melanie
“Having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end.”
John 13:1
“I thank my God every time I remember you. In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.
It is right for me to feel this way about all of you, since I have you in my heart and, whether I am in chains or defending and confirming the gospel, all of you share in God’s grace with me. God can testify how I long for all of you with the affection of Christ Jesus.
And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ- to the glory and praise of God.”
Philippians 1:3-10
