The People I Wouldn’t Have Chosen

Have you ever been on a team of people that would not have been your first choice? Maybe in Elementary School you got put in the opposite class than all of your friends? Maybe in college you had a group project with a group of people that made you just want to do all of the work yourself? Maybe even at work you constantly get shifted to work with the people whose work rhythm is just different than yours?

On the World Race we get placed onto teams that we stay in for about 3-5 months. We spend a lot of intentional time in our teams every single day. Everyday we share feedback about where we saw Jesus in each other, or constructive feedback about an area we could grow to be more like Jesus. We also spend time hanging out together as well as doing ministry together. So we spend a LOT of time together.

In a team set up like this one, there could be so much potential for conflict, but there could also be so much potential for God to allow deep relationship to happen in the most unlikely of places.

Back in October while we were at training camp, our leadership prayed about our teams and asked God how we should be put together. He answered and our teams were formed!  If I would have gotten to choose for myself, I wouldn’t have chosen my team. They were some of the last people I would have chosen.

Its not that I don’t LOVE them now, it just that I hadn’t interacted with them much at training camp. I didn’t know them very well, and from my limited knowledge of them I probably would have assumed we had nothing in common. Oh the beauty we miss out on because of the assumptions we make.

Boyyyyy am I glad that leadership goes with Gods superior design and not mine. Something beautiful happens when you press into relationship with people that you don’t immediately gravitate towards. I’ve told a couple of my teammates now that before we left for the race, I didn’t think they would be people I would end up being close with. I wasn’t worried we wouldn’t work well together, we’re all pretty nice, but people I would voluntarily choose to spend a lot of time with, certainly not. Wrongo.

Our God is a god of color, and beauty, and differences. How can we possibly expect to experience the fullness of Gods Kingdom if we only spend time with people that like the same things and think the same ways as us???
Society, and also myself as an individual, miss out on deeply knowing people and seeing the face of Jesus in the people around us when we assume we won’t like someone. When you prematurely decide that you won’t get along with someone, that is putting God in a box.

God sees each if us as a beautiful and intentional part of His Kingdom, who are we to decide who we think God will allow us to love. The secret, spoiler alert, is that every single person on this earth is made in the image of God and if you spend enough time with them, God will show you how He sees them and loves them.

My team is called the Bread Breakers! We originally picked the name because Jesus loves to break bread with people and because of the the community and example of the new church in Acts 2:“

They devoted themselves to the apostles teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. Everyone was filled with awe at the many wonders and signs performed by the apostles.  All the believers had everything in common.  They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need.  Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts.  The broke bread together and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people.” -Acts 42-47

Conversations and life happen at the table. I want to come to the table every day and thank God for what is in front of me, the food and the people. Doing life together is how you deepen community.

Well as it turns out, the name is perfect for our team because we absolutely love eating together. Like a lot. We found a grocery store that has these big chocolate cakes for about $3.25 in USD and we are addicted to them.
Our team nicknames include “The Bready Buddies,” and “The Bready Bunch.” Classic. I now love my team so so much. Every single freaking day, God grows my heart for each of them. They are tender, and wise, and funny, and point me upwards every day. I thought it might be cool to introduce you a bit to each of my teammates because I love them a whole lot and God loves them a whole lot and they are a testimony to who God is. Sooooo here we go from left to right…

Kaci: Jesus shows up in Kaci in her honesty and in her ability to act on what she is called to do. I admire those qualities in her a ton. She has a huge heart for kids and makes sure people feel understood. She also has a heart for worship and recently has been boldly stepping into that role which I love.

Victoria: Vic has so much compassion for people it is crazy. We’ve been in Jaco for a month and I’m pretty sure she knows the names of every employee at every restraunt here and she never fails to let them know they are seen and loved. She does this even more with the people she knows well. It is evident she has spent a lifetime sitting at the feet of Jesus by the way she boldly listens and obeys Holy Spirit.

Julianna: Dang dude, I love this friend. Jules has a double portion of joy and it is evident to every person she meets. The more I get to know her, the more she suprises me every day with her humor and mischievous spirit. She effortlessly hands out grace to me and to people she meets. Jules seeks truth beautifully and enters into others space with a compassion that emulates Jesus.

Cami: So Cam is a squad leader which means she has done the race before, she is only on the field with us for 5 months, and she switches around to different teams often. This month though the Bread Breakers have been blessed with her on our team so she deserves a shout out too!! Cam is someone I look up to a ton. She lives a life of interruptability. Her ability to be present in situations makes people feel so loved and seen. She loves people where they are at and she speaks truth over people ever chance she gets. I see Jesus in the way she interacts with people every day!

Bre: The best team leader a team could ask for! Bre’s boldness and heart to listen to the Lord in everything she does is how I most see Jesus in her. Bre loves to make sure everyone feels heard and she always makes space for people to just be. She is also creative as heck and a gifted photographer.

Kelsey Corns: Kel just gets me. We are nothing alike and simultaneously the same person lol. When I think of Kel; grace, gentleness, and wholehearted devotion are words that burst into my mind. Kelsey loves to pray for people, and she clearly hears from the Lord. Watching Kelsey invite people into her space with her warm smile and welcoming spirit is beautiful to watch.

So if I haven’t said it enough, I literally love my team so much. It wasn’t my own doing, God gave me a heart for them. There is so much to be said for pressing into relationships that you don’t immediately gravitate towards. God is so much bigger than our preferences!

Never dismiss someone thinking you can’t be friends; you may just miss out on seeing a beautiful aspect of the Father that He is waiting to show you in someone you wouldn’t have chosen yourself!