“I can do hard things”
Coming into training camp, I knew I was going to have to do a difficult hike. Specifically a 2.2 mile hike in 38 minutes carrying my 40 lb. pack on my back. At first I believed I wouldn’t have an issue completing this hike; I was quickly proven very wrong. The first part of the hike was a hill that seemed to be a 90 degree angle and 4 miles long. I huffed and puffed my way up that hill twice and boy was it hard.
My incredible squad leader, Emma, was there to encourage my team and I the whole time. She kept saying “we can do hard things!” and reminding us that we weren’t doing this on our own strength, but the strength of our almighty God. Because of her encouragement to us, we were able to encourage each other to push and finish strong, which made our team dynamics strengthen.
We finished the hike in 39 minutes.
When we were told we had to redo the hike I was devastated. You see, I wasn’t just upset at the fact we didn’t complete in the allotted time frame, but this meant that we had to re-hike at 6:30 am the next morning. So, I huffed and puffed my way back up that hill two more times, with a substantially less amount of water in my system as well as a dejected spirit. My legs were already extremely sore from the day before and I despised every step I took that morning.
Halfway through the hike I heard God say to me, “you can’t do this alone, let me help you.” As soon as I received those words I started running. I ran as fast and as hard as I could to the finish line.
I finished in 32 minutes.
You see, this hike was a turning point for me. I couldn’t have finished if I hadn’t had 2 very important things: community and intimacy with the Lord. It’s safe to say that if Emma and my teammates hasn’t pushed me, I wouldn’t have finished. If I hadn’t understood the Lord and refused to listen to Him, I would’ve quit halfway through, saying “this is too hard and it isn’t worth it.” But let me tell y’all, it’s always worth it. It’s worth it to do hard things. Its worth it to listen to God when you really don’t want to. Because what comes out of it is so much more beautiful than anything we could ever imagine. This hike gave me so much more than sore muscles and a few bruises; it gave me a stronger bond with 6 incredible girls as well as a closer relationship with my Heavenly Father.
That’s what the World Race is about. It’s about loving our God and, through that love, loving our squad mates and teammates, and the people of this world. In 6 weeks I will leave and spread that love through 5 countries. It’s safe to say that I am more than ready for that.
Just as I couldn’t finish this hike without the Lord, I can’t do this race without your support. My next deadline is $10,000 by August 11th. I would love to invite you into this journey with me. Whether that’s prayerfully or financially, please know that I cherish both.
