One year ago today my best friend in
the world got married. The flowers were stunning. The reception was
decorated to the nine. The weather was perfect. And the bride –
breathtaking, to say the least.
of the desert during it.
Evie and I have been best friends since
we were 9 years old and I consider her closer than a sister. As all
little girls do, we’ve always talked about our weddings. Fast forward
about 15 years later and Evie gets engaged and I’m about to leave for
the World Race. This is a major dilemma. How could I ever miss my
best friend’s wedding? I prayed and even seriously considered
postponing the World Race for a while. But whenever I did, I just
kept feeling God nudging me to leave when I originally committed.
As month 5 approaches on the Race and
Evie’s wedding is just weeks away, it finally hits me how hard this
is. Never had I anticipated one of the things God was asking me to
surrender to him was this wedding. Living out of a backpack and
wearing the same 4 outfits for a year? No problem. Sleeping in the
dirt and eating fried tarantulas? Easy peasy! I’m a missionary! But
not being there for my best friend on the biggest day of her life?
Wow, that sucks.
correct, Israel in December. What a dream! Who could be miserable in
the holy land?! Well, I definitely could. My attitude was absolutely
awful because I was on the World Race instead of at my best friend’s
wedding. I was bitter and angry. I was so hurting. I didn’t want to
do anything except wallow in my sorrow and occasionally sightsee. I
was becoming complacent in every aspect. I pretty much cried every
day. Here’s what I wrote in my journal one night:
Honestly, I just don’t want to be
here anymore. I don’t think I have changed or gotten that much
closer to God in these last 5 months. Why am I here? Am I just
wasting this year? Why can’t I just go to Evie’s wedding?! That’s all
I want.
Let’s just say I wasn’t the biggest joy
to be around…just ask my poor teammates who had to put up with me.
The night before the wedding, I slept
in a dress and prayed that God would miraculously transport me to the
ceremony just for a few hours (yes, seriously). But alas I woke up
still in the Negev desert in Israel instead of in South Florida.
After I got up I walked to the store
with Ashley. When we returned home, I was completely surprised to see
our backyard set up for a wedding. Someone said “Welcome to Evie
and Ruben’s wedding” and handed me a bouquet of flowers and I was
sent down the aisle as the maid of honor. My teammates Casey and Erin
pretended to be the bride and groom, complete with “Hello My Name
Is…” nametags. They actually went through the entire vows and
ring exchange. After the ceremony we had cake and gave a toast. They
went all out!
Even a year later when I think about
it, I tear up. My teammates did that for me. Even though all month
I’ve been complaining and probably making their lives miserable, they
loved me enough to actually put on a full-on mock wedding just to try
and cheer me up. I was so humbled by their love. I can’t really
describe how much that meant to me then and how much I needed it.
I never knew friendship and love like
that before. I’ve even lived in community before the Race but this
was something deeper. My brothers and my sisters met me in my pain
instead of leaving me there though that would’ve been deserving and
definitely much easier. Through them I felt God’s love SO deeply that
day. I felt Him whisper to me that though this is hard, it’s worth
it. And though I can’t see it now, he’s working it out for my good.
my journal entry from then. I now see why I was there then. It was to
know and fall in love with my family on the race, my squad. Those are
my people and because of them and Jesus, I am completely changed. It
was to be encountered, humbled and wrecked by love.I’ll never forget that day.
