First things first: I want to say that you guys are awesome! Since we have shared the news of Eric being accepted into the University of Cambridge and our plans to move to England, you guys have been nothing but encouraging. I really am blow away.
People have been asking me if I am excited or apprehensive. I am without a doubt excited. If you have been around a while, you probably know I struggle with anxiety, which at times leads to panic attacks. If you are new to my story… Hello, I am an overcomer of fear! Nice to meet you! Welcome! Sure, picking up my life and moving thousands of miles away and leaving some of the best people on Earth rattles my chain a little. I am really not allowing myself to go there right now. I will need to deal with those emotions soon, but not today; I’ll do that when the time is right. Today, I am facing what needs to be done first, and that is building an army.
What do I mean by “building an army”? I have lived long enough to know that no one person accomplishes anything great without the help of great people. The thing about inviting others to help is that you have to be vulnerable. Ughhhh… I don’t know why I run from that word! Well yeah, actually I do.
Pride.
Ego.
In the Gospel of John, Jesus goes to wash his disciples’ feet and Peter is so offended. He is like “No way!” Peter had an issue with being vulnerable. He loved being strong. He loved all the stuff that came with being close to Jesus, but not the part where he had to be exposed and let someone serve him.
Well, just call me Peter’s twin sister! I don’t want to be vulnerable either. I don’t like letting others serve me. I help other people, but I don’t want to admit that I need to be helped. The thing that allows me to run into this next season is Jesus’ words, “If I don’t wash your feet, you have no part of me!” I want to be with Jesus more than I want to appear strong and independent in this world. The truth is, I’m not strong and I’m not independent. Not really. I need Jesus and I need other people. So I allow myself to be made vulnerable. I realize that we cannot complete this next journey by ourselves. It’s bigger than us. We need an army around us.
I have to invite people to come alongside me and help. I have to show my need. I have to be willing to expose myself to rejection. I have had a moment or two when I thought, “Can’t we just stay put?!? It would be so much easier!” But that moment is quickly chased away by a desire to run straight into this call. So I take off my shoes, exposed, and declare that I am here to build an army. This is what I believe, and I believe it strongly: since God has called us, he is also calling an army of supporters to “go there” with us. I can not imagine going on this journey without you guys’ support! So I am standing here bare-footed and vulnerable, offering an invitation:
Friends, we need you! This call is too big to do it alone. We need you!
I would love to hear from you. If you would like to be part of our support team (which we lovingly call Team Hyphen) in any way, please connect with me. For more info about our move to Cambridge (from my husband’s perspective) and how to join Team Hyphen, check out this page on his blog.
Who’s ready?
Let’s go!!!
