Research says it takes 66 days to form a habit, but I’d like to challenge that. I think if you show up willing to embrace change (and don’t have access to plumbing and electricity), you can be radically changed in just 11 days.
Why? Because it happened to me.
I just got home from World Race Training Camp. Think bible camp meets boot camp. 11 days where 50 strangers, all beautifully unique in the way they live, love, worship, and pray, were stripped of modern conveniences and challenged to press into God and each other. 11 days camping in the sweet Georgia heat with bucket showers, port-a-potties, and the not-so-sweet Georgia bugs. 11 stretching days where vulnerability and humility and exhaustion were met with grace and joy and love.
To be completely honest, the first few days were brutal. I felt disconnected from God. I was exhausted. And I was struggling to push out of my introvert bubble and get to know my squad. People around me were having powerful moments with God while I was just trying to keep up with false expectations I had put on myself. I wasn’t ready to embrace the uncomfortable.
Comparison and insecurity are powerful. I was falling for an internal lie that I wasn’t a strong enough Christian or extroverted enough. That I wasn’t bold enough or didn’t pray fiercely enough. I caught a nasty cold and daily questioned if I could actually live in the conditions we’re headed to. I was tired and discouraged and wondered where I fit into the church body we had been talking about all week.
But luckily no matter what I’m feeling, God is still good. He’s still present, and he definitely doesn’t make mistakes. One night in worship, I chose to sit and be still instead of dance and praise with my squad. God met me in that moment. As my squad sang and worshiped, I sat in quiet tears, just me and our Father, and it was beautiful.
That night in worship was a pivotal point for me. God doesn’t need us to be anything special. He doesn’t even need us as all. But he chooses us, despite our weaknesses and our sins and our baggage. What a privilege that the Creator of the Universe would invite us to share his Word with others.
After that night, training camp became infinitely easier and more exciting. The same challenges were still present, but I was way more confident in my identity in Christ and I was ready to embrace the growing pains. As a squad we went through multiple field scenarios (lost luggage, extended layovers, community living) and tough sessions full of vulnerability, pain, and tears, but I came out on the other side an entirely different human. We revisited old wounds and shame, then allowed grace and forgiveness to take over. We learned how to share the Gospel, make disciples, and plant churches. We learned how to walk in Godly community, saying yes to loving each other even when it’s tough.
Y’all, I am SO excited for what God is doing in my squad and how he’s going to use us this year. I can’t imagine what the next year is going to look like, but I’m ready to embrace the messy moments. I’m ready to embrace the awkward and the uncomfortable. And most importantly, I’m ready to embrace every opportunity God puts in front of us to further his Kingdom.
As I prepare for launch these next 6 weeks (ahhh!), I ask that you consider being a part of this journey!
God is just so cool, y’all!
I have so much more to share from training, and the stories from the field are going to be SO good! Please subscribe and if you feel led to support financially, the link is at the top of this page. Because of several commitments that haven’t yet been posted, I’m only about $7,500 away from my final goal!! Woohoo!
