Hasta Luego Mommies

Yesterday I sat down on my Sabbath with a pen and a notebook and FINALLY gave myself some time to process my time with team M.O.M.

I knew I had been avoidant because truthfully, I really miss those guys. We felt like family real quick and our time, specifically our first two months in Guatemala, was just really, really beautiful together.

Think candlelit dinners, worship sessions in an echo-ey room and the ministry of little tiny children hanging all over us while our hearts exploded. Think hand written notes and laughing our heads off and late night feedback sessions building each other up. Think prayer and prophesying over each other, holding hands while we defeated the enemy’s words in each other’s heads and crying over each other’s testimonies.

I fell for the mommies quickly.

One night during worship I got a vision of an incubator with little balls of golden light. So beautiful and so dreamy. I asked the Lord what it meant and He said, “It’s them!” I didn’t need another reminder of the fact that my team was special and that God was doing unique things inside of each of them, but it was sweet of the Lord to show it to me and remind me that I’d been given a unique gift in these relationships.

I’m so proud of them. Every. Single. One.

My heart burst open as I was processing yesterday and manifested into little tears as I thought about how much I grew to love them and cheer them on and want so much for them in the Kingdom. The Lord really did give me eyes to see them and He really does enlarge your heart when you’re asked to shepherd. IT’S TRUE!

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Dear Mommies,

You changed me. You taught me how to love deeper, how to curiously approach the things I don’t understand and how to walk confidently into my giftings. You taught me to be vulnerable with my emotions, to let people carry me once in a while and to love myself with patience and grace. You showed me family and sharing and creativity and you let me unapologetically be myself at every turn celebrating me for the quirky and strange things that make me, me. You made space. You forced me to slow. You showed me I was beautiful when I didn’t feel it. You built me up. I’ll never forget my one and only World Race 2021 team and the ways you shaped me. You prepared me for what I’m walking into now in ways only God knew. It was a glorious and memorable four months with you guys and I’m so grateful He chose us to be together.

Scottie – You grew and bloomed right before our eyes. We got to literally watch the Lord renew your mind, create a beautiful humility in your heart and soften you into a puddle. Your journey in understanding the secret place will give your next team permission to slow down and seek the Lord’s soft presence. You’ll drive people to rest which is a COMMAND of the Lords!

Alayna – Your strength and surety in the faith and in God’s truth built us up as a team. We watched you resiliently push forward and dig in and mercilessly kill all the enemies attempts towards apathy. You were passionate and it rubbed off on us. That passion and confidence will drive your future team to great heights.

Aaron – You taught us how to play. You reminded us to balance the beautiful depth of the human experience with the lightness of joy in the Lord. We watched you wrestle and wrestle again and you never forgot to invite us in and let us see you open on the surgeon’s table. Your vulnerability and unapologetic truth telling will remind everyone around you to take a second look at their hearts and what they need.

Alli- You are a delightful surprise! I’m tender thinking about watching your journey in understanding the role of the church and getting to watch you walk through healing. Your gifts are INSANE. I’m so excited to watch you take the stage as a leader and use them!

Arianna – You count here! Of course! You’ll always be a Mommy to me. Thank you for joining our team for all of Guatemala. You grew our maturity in the faith and pushed us at every turn to dig deeper, question more, and fall into a wide, creative, dreamy love affair with our maker. Your beautiful heart, fierce lion mama mentality and love of the word will support your next ministry as a World Race Mentor in ways we can only be on pins and needles to watch.

As I think through all the growth we’ve experienced together, I can see how the incubation vision was a sweet taste of what we are walking into now. He used our relationship, our family and our love as a greenhouse for a thousand little blooms he carefully watered in our hearts, preparing us for our next moves so carefully and so specifically.

When I reflect on my time with the mommies, I simply feel loved by the Lord.

Thank you, Moms.

All my love,

Lindsey