Training camp was 8 months ago, and I remember thinking that anything that had previously been in my mind about the World Race was completely blown to pieces. I’d heard all the talks, done all the team – building exercises, walked through inner healing, and learned how to say hard things to people in love. The Race suddenly felt like something that wasn’t going to be challenging for me. It seemed almost redundant – I had gone to these places deep within myself before. I really questioned the Lord’s purpose in me being there at that point.
Our teams were finalized after a few days, and I was asked to attend a meeting. There, I sobbed into the Lord’s sunrise between the thick, wooded forest of AIM headquarters. How did I ever think that what God had for me wouldn’t be good enough? He had anointed me to be a team leader. It suddenly all made sense – it was okay that I had experienced those things, because the Lord wanted me to walk with other people through them.
Team 12-6-1 is the definition of the body of Christ. All of us are from seriously different homes, hurts, walks with the Lord, and stages of life. It was a fight from the get-go, but we were always victorious. We fought for our hosts, our kids, our disciples, our quiet time, our food, and, most importantly, each other. That last one was the only thing that mattered to me in my months with them. We didn’t always love each other graciously, and I didn’t always lead humbly. But, my gosh, we recently transitioned into new roles and teams, and I’m proud to leave that team the way we all did. I walked away with new gifts of grace, patience, servant leadership, humility, reconciliation, generosity, and freedom. It was a sweet, sweet time of my life, to receive 5 new sisters and friends, and I am grateful beyond words for them.
I sobbed in McDonald’s (Asian McDonald’s far exceeds American) as I stared at the slip of names that is my new team. Just 3. Team leaders turned squad leaders. I heard from God early in the Race that my leadership would continue past team – leading, but I didn’t want to believe it. It’s easy to see now, looking back to training camp and my life before the World Race, that the Lord has been preparing me my whole life for this.
I am fully stepping into squad – leading, not because I can do it, but because the Lord can and wants to do it with me. He doesn’t care what I have or haven’t done in leadership, because it’s not about my accomplishments or failures. It’s about who He says I am and what He calls me.
