Tuesday, December 12, 2017

My Community

Proverbs 27:17
“As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another.”

Y’all, I have been back in the states for about S I X months now.
Is that just as crazy for you as it is for me?
For anyone who has had a conversation with me, you’d know that community is extremely important in my life.
Although I have always loved community and friendship, it wasn’t until the race that I really began to see the difference of impact between regular friends and kingdom seeking friends.
For nine months I lived amongst the same 30 people who were seeking the same thing as me.
Kingdom, growth, adventure.
It’s hard to find a handful of people who have the same beliefs as you, let alone someone who actually walks daily in those beliefs. On the race, I was surrounded. My eyes were opened. I fell in love with the life-giving community I was gifted with, and I was terrified at the possibility of never having that again.
Then comes DBU.
I can’t really put into words exactly how lucky I am to have been given the friends that I have.
I often look at each one of them and wonder what I did in order to deserve them.
The word “love” simply does not do my emotions justice.
Let me introduce them to you.

K A N A H   -

This girl brings life with her everywhere she goes. She is selfless, she is beautiful, she is an encourager. Kanah is literally the type of person to drop anything if/when you need her. Seriously. She’s crazy selfless. She’s also crazy wise. Like hello, who needs a therapist when you have Kanah Johnson as a friend?! She never gets tired of hearing everything I have to say and she always gives me words that are both life-giving and true. She has such an elegant way of speaking as well, when we first met I thought she was British. She’s that cool. She also lives for the Lord daily. Seriously, she just walks in His love which she then uses to give to others. If you ever get the chance to meet her, please please please talk with her. I promise you will never leave a conversation with her feeling drained or bored. I promise.

K E L L Y   - 

Wowza, this girl brings me so much joy. She literally is always energized, she is constantly walking in the joy of the Lord, and she gives the best hugs. It is no secret that my love language is physical touch, and Kelly never fails to scratch my back/arms, play with my hair, and/or give me a massage when I need it most. Kelly is also extremely funny. Every time I am with her I am dying of laughter. She’s my go to girl to watch a crazy stupid movie just to make fun of it. She doesn’t care what anyone thinks of her; I think that’s one of the things I admire the most about her. She is unapologetically herself. She lives without fear; she just goes. She walks in such a confidence because she knows who she is in the Lord. She can sing like none other, like seriously, wow. The Lord has amazing things planned out for Kelly’s life; I literally can’t wait to continue this thing called life alongside her.

R A C H E L  - 

First of all, Rachel is my girl crush. She is so naturally beautiful, and not just physically. Her spirit is so extremely beautiful. She has such a happy and bubbly soul, I am literally filled with joy every time I have a conversation with her. After one conversation with her I knew she was a keeper. The thing about Rachel is this: you can’t just be regular friends with her. You just somehow turn into best friends, literally. One day she’s a stranger who is driving you last minute to a job interview, and the next day you’re at her birthday dinner talking as if you’ve known each other forever. I have never in my life met anyone like Rachel. She knows how to be goofy and random, but she also knows how to be raw and serious. She has impacted me in so many ways that she doesn’t even know. Her life literally reflects what it’s supposed to look like to be in such awe of the Lord and to have such an eagerness to be more and more like Him daily.




S A R A H  - 

I don’t think there will ever be enough words to describe the amount of love and respect I have for this girl. She literally is one of the most selfless people I know. There will never be a day that I need her and she won’t show up. She loves so faithfully as well. She’s one of those people who when you talk she actually listens. She authentically wants to know how your day is even if it only consists of you eating a burger for lunch. She’s also such an encourager, she is constantly lifting me up in truth. She hates physical touch and yet she does not resist my endless hugs and hand-holds even though I know she hates it. She always has the right words to say. Whenever I am having just a down right bad day, Sarah knows just how to cheer me up, whether that is with a great hug or her amazing dance moves and jokes. I would hate to know a life without a Sarah Hix in it. Seriously, my experience at DBU would not be anywhere near what it is now if it wasn’t for her friendship. Her presence alone brightens up my day.


T Y L E R   - 

Tyler Goen is one of my favorite people at DBU. He is constantly asking everyone around them about where they are in their individual walks with the Lord; he asks because he seriously wants to know. When he says he’s going to pray for you, he really does, right there and then. It’s one of my favorite things. He has such an authentic and pure love for the Father and He is constantly pursuing more and more of Him in every way possible. I’ve learned so much from him in just the couple of months we have been friends. He is constantly spitting out so much wisdom that he always backs up with scripture. He’s also so stinking funny. He says the most random, funniest things that will get everyone laughing. He’s so refreshing to be around, even if all we are doing is studying. He’s one of my greatest, most cherished friends.


N O A H  - 

Noah was one of my first DBU friends, and one of my most favorite people in this world. He is constantly pouring into our friendship and showing me that it’s important to him. Before we even began to start hanging out he would never fail to say hello every time he saw me around. He lives unashamed of the gospel and he has this majestic love that comes straight from the Lord. It literally pours out of him. He’s such an encourager; I am pretty sure there has not been one encounter with Noah that he did not compliment me on something. Even if we are just quickly passing each other on our way to class, he always stops to ask me how my day is which is something that I love because he actually wants to stop and hear about it. He literally is constantly striving to be a loyal imitator of the Lord and it’s so beautiful to see. He literally lives unashamed.


D A N I E L  - 

Daniel literally lights up every room he walks in. He walks in and the presence of Jesus is made known. Like no joke. He is always walking in such a pure state joy and happiness that people are pulled to him. I haven’t met one person who doesn’t want to be his friend, and it’s understandable. He is one of the goofiest people I have ever met in my life but he is also one of the most wise. He is in a constant state of awe in the Lord and all His wonders as well as he is always looking for new ways to grow closer to our Father. He loves so freely and purely. Abba is already doing so many amazing things through Him but still has so much more that He plans to do; the cool thing is that Daniel is waiting with open hands ready to receive. I’ve learned so much from him already by watching his walk with the Lord, he isn’t scared to be vulnerable. Getting to do life with Daniel is one of my favorite things.


N O B L E   - 
(yescow) 

First of all, his name is freaking Noble. Like how much cooler can a name be?! Not only that but he actually lives up to his name. He is so selfless and generous. He is always driving us around which, in college, is one of the most selfless acts because gas money is definitely not cheap. Last night (12.11.17) all of us went to look at Christmas lights and somehow my ID pouch that held both my ID and my credit card had fallen out of the car at one of stops which I didn’t realize until we had gotten back to campus at 1:30 am. The first thing he said was this: “Come on. I’ll talk you to go back to look for it.” Let me mention that the location to where it fell out was 40 minutes away and we had finals the following morning. The girls ended up taking me to go look for it, but Noble waited up until we got back to campus (3 am) just to hear if I had found my belongings. If that doesn’t describe him I don’t know what does. He’s also extremely funny; probably one of the most funniest people I’ve met, actually. We started calling him “yes cow” per his request because it’s the opposite of “no{bull}”. See what I mean? He’s amazing.



The thing about each of these people that I love so much is their individual love for the Lord. They are all constantly seeking Him in as many ways possible, without ceasing. Like I said before, I don’t know what I did to deserve them but I thank God every day for blessing me with this community of believers.
Once I had gotten home from the race I thought I’d never get a group like that again, and yet, here I am, in awe of both the Father and the friends I am surrounded by.
God you are so so so good.
I can never thank You enough, Father, I love you.