There is so much I took away from being part of Team Surrendered. We laughed, cried, celebrated the major holidays together, fought for each other, and handled differences of opinions with more grace than I think we give ourselves credit for.
It’s hard to wrap my head around the fact that while we will still see each other at least once or twice a month for the remainder of the race, it will no longer be a daily walk.
In trying to think through how I could best say goodbye I was reminded of when we were asked a few weeks ago “How do you see the image of God in each of your teammates?”
I see God’s passion in Bonnie. She celebrates the little things that make her happy! She also has such a heart and a hunger for history and God is a God of remembrance. He sees people in terms of multiple generations as well as individuals. It’s part of the reason we say “the God of Abraham, Issac, and Jacob”. They are individuals that make up a period of time that is longer than one generation. We enter His gates through thanksgiving and praise (thanking Him for all He has done and praising Him for Who He is is dependent upon remembering history!)
As small and maybe funny as it is I see Jillian’s love for mini things so reflective of God. If you think about it we are tiny tiny images of Him. But even more than that He makes us even Tinier when we are born! He made ants and amebas! It’s like He was trying to challenge Himself.
But in all seriousness I think she most aptly displays His passion for the lost. She does not lack boldness. She has a fire in her that spurs her to push herself and others towards the ”more” of God. That’s why I think she is so future-minded. She knows great things are coming and she wants to be prepared for them. She asked me once “if you could create the perfect job for me, what would it look like?” I think she was born to be a shepherd of people. Evangelists are fishers of men. But shepherds of people are those who receive the men from evangelists. They are the ones who teach and love and pursue the new believers, or those who lose the meaning of what it means to be a Child of God.
God’s heart is revealed so clearly in Kaitlin. When she loves you, she loves big and deep. And it’s not big in a flashy sense, it’s a constant and gentle presence that shows up in the quiet moments and in the little details. She also experiences His broken heart in such a beautiful and strong way. When she sees injustice, when she hears of the pain and hurt in the world she is driven to act and to do what she can. She fights for those that have no voice, be it human or animal. She stands in the gap to call attention to them. Her voice is bold and clear and cleansed by the Spirit. She follows in the footsteps of Jesus by being intentional with her time with God. She pulls herself away when she needs to and spends that time with Him. She intercedes on other’s behalves (I don’t know if that’s a word but I’ll go with it) and reaches for the Spirit’s words before her own. She allows herself to feel the Joy and the Pain of the Heart of God but most of all she pursues relationship with God in the most humblest of ways.
Lauren has the faithfulness of God in spades. I can’t tell you how many times she spent hours in prayer just waiting and wanting to hear from Him. Even when the response was silence, she still spoke positively about it, sure that He will speak one day. I see in her a stamina and a perseverance to go after God and the plans of God even when the results aren’t the ones she is expecting. Hers is the faith of a mustard seed that will move the mountains….
The first thing that came to mind about Martha is that she carries God’s wisdom. This probably came to mind first because relationally this is how I view her. We are always getting into good conversations that are full of life advice. But in further reflection she mirrors His gentleness towards children. I’m reminded of the scripture when the disciples stopped the kids from coming to Jesus but He in turn said “let them come!” The children recognized a spirit within Jesus that signaled to them He is safe and fun! Why else would they be running to Him? Martha exudes that same current. By the night of the first day we were in Mi Casa, the kids were climbing all over her! They see Jesus in her and run!
I will miss the women who have become as dear to me as my own family. But I know God has us each in the perfect new team to help us grow more like Him.
To those who traveled and surrendered all with me these last 4 months.
