I sat there on a hill about 100 yards from the Training Center, though I felt much further in my heart. “Am I supposed to be here? Is this for me?” I was struggling, both physically and spiritually. I could barely open my eyes, as they throbbed in pain from a sleepless night before; a pain that started in the morning as an uncomfortable itch resulting from my failure to remove my contacts the night before, but escalated as the day went on, tearing my attention away from the teachings of that particular morning. In a cruel irony, I had struggled to watch as a fellow World Racer experienced the healing of his eyes. Countless squadmates and fellow racers prayed over me that day, but the pain only increased. “Where are you, Lord?”
So I sat on the hill away from everybody else. Seeking alone time with God. Seeking a message from God. Seeking anything from God. “Where are you?”
Suddenly, I was startled as someone behind me approached with an invitation. “Want to see something cool?” It was my new squad mate Olivia. Another cruel reminder of my struggles of the day; I can’t see anything. What the heck? Why not? “Sure,” I responded. I followed her down a mostly hidden path. Following the red clay of the Georgia floor barely peeking through the blanketed fiery colors of autumn leaves, and tunneled in by the shedding oaks of the forest, we approached a clearing. As we emerged, I opened my eyes in a moment of clarity. Now, I have seen my fair share of beautiful sunsets over the Rocky Mountains of Colorado, but this particular dusk was an answer to the questions of my heart. With the strokes of oranges, pinks, and everything in between, the Lord responded with this watercolor sunset, “I am here, William. Always.”
Training Camp was one of the hardest, yet best weeks of my life. I loved it. I hated it. I struggled. I overcame. Frankly, I have struggled to put into words the experiences of my 10 days in Gainesville, Georgia. I feel both more prepared to take on the challenges that the World Race will present me with (NOTE TO SELF: If you have to sleep in an airport, make sure to pack accordingly. Prepare for arctic temperatures, while sleeping inside the engine of a spaceship.), and less prepared (Alone time, non-existent).
But, if I had one takeaway from the entire experience, it would be this: My strength lies in the Lord. The struggles of training camp were amplified when I tried to do everything on my own. The triumphs of training camp largely consisted during intimate times in connection with Him. My relationship with Christ Jesus is not the same as anybody else’s, but that is the way God intended. It is perfectly ours. And I can do anything through Him, as long as I allow Him to work through me. Obedience to the Lord, precedes His blessings. He will never leave me.
Dear Lord Jesus, do anything you need to do in me, that you might do everything you want to do through me.
I am honored and humbled to announce that I was chosen as a team leader of team Dunamis: Six powerful, and beautiful teammates, Brandon, Jason, Sally, Christina, Amber, Lauryn, and myself. Dunamis is the Greek word symbolizing God’s power, and I believe it fits our team incredibly well. We will live together, and glorify God together for the foreseeable future as a family in Christ. Pray for us on our journey.
God bless you all. God loves you. And so do I.
