Imagine if…?
As this month is coming to an end, I feel like I am coming to a dead-end in the road that I am traveling on… But not in a bad way, just a sense of mystery and unknown. Have you ever played the game 'Imagine If….'? Ohhh it's an excellent game to play in a large group. Sooo let's imagine if… Imagine if you were driving on this road out in the middle of nowhere. It's a beautiful day, upper 70s and sunshine. You are jamming to the music having a marvelous time, and then you pass a dead-end road sign… You know the road is going to end but you don't want to turn around.. Not yet. This journey can't be over, you still have so much more to explore. As you continue to drive you come to a cul-de-sac with five very distinct houses and a gate that says "Do Not Enter". None of the houses match, in fact, you wonder how they all came to be in this one place.
So let's continue with this game: imagine if _________ were a house, which house would he/she be?
A. Beach Condo in California
B. Mountain Cottage with possible tree house
C. Standard Ideal 2-story American Home
D. Simply, yet large home in Uganda
E. Modern home in Switzerland
For the last three months, I have had five amazing teammates. And I want to share a little bit about them, their personality, and which house I think they would live in…
The first house you would see is a large Ugandan home with several children playing outside. There would be black kids, mixed kids, and possibly a little Chinese girl. Lots of flat land for the children to run around and play. This would be Grace's home. Grace has a fitting name, because she is full of grace and love. Created for the international mission field, her face lights up when playing with the local children in a foreign country. A person who loves building relationships and pouring into others. A person who has the heart to love.
Right beside the Ugandan home, you would see a beach condo. You would do a double-take and wonder how can these houses be side by side. The beach condo from California would be in bright colors with a balcony on the second floor. This would be Candace's house. Candace is full of life which is why you would see a brightly colored house. She is also full of gentleness and grace. A person who would sit on the balcony with her bible and white hot chocolate watching the waves crash against the shore. A person who has a love for hospitality and quality time with people. Her home built for having people over.
Then there would be a standard 2-story ideal American home. Bricked with a red door and a fenced-in back yard. This would be Ben John's home. He is an all-American kid. A person who enjoys working with his hands and accomplishing goals. He is the calm amidst the storm, an EMT, who is good in chaotic situations. A person who is a servant, with a servant heart. And a Mr. Fix-It when it comes to electronics.
The mountain cottage would be next. This would be log cabin/cottage. In the back yard, there would be a tree house full of adventure. The mountains would be a place to explore. This would be Ben's house. A place of exploration yet peacefulness. There would be a simplicity to the house, not crowded with material things. He is a man after God's own heart. A person who loves adventure and the mountains, who will go to the mountain top to listen to God's voice.
The final house you would see is a fun, modern home in Switzerland. This would be Dania's home. Modern and sophisticated in the current business world. She is full of wisdom and courage. Life experiences building her into the person she has become with a courageous heart. A person who desires to learn and is constantly growing. A person who wants to travel the world and all that God has created. Someone of growth.
How in the world can these five houses all come together in one cul-de-sac. None of them match. None of them go together. It's not a perfect neighbor like you would expect. In fact, it's nothing you would expect. But that's my team.
At training camp when they announced the teams some people started crying because we are all so different. We couldn't see how all these different personalities could come together as one. At the time, we couldn't see past our differences. But as the World Race started in January… We started to get to know each other. We share our testimonies and learned from one another's experiences. Yes, it took time. Yes, it took effort. But, it's through our differences that brought unity to our team. Now, we have a bond, we have a trust, we have an honesty. I am really not sure what I will do without my five teammates. But it's all in God's hands.
At the end of this month, we are switching up teams. There will be new squad leaders and team leaders raised up. There will be people going home. It's going to be a hard transition. But, God never intended this journey to be easy. Remember at the beginning of the blog I said there were 5 houses and a gate that said 'Do Not Enter'… Well that gate is for me. Who knows what I will discover on the other side but this journey isn't over. These relationships I have built aren't over but continually growing. God is going to teach me so much during this transition, I simply have to trust in Him. For God is good and he knows what is best.
