emilyorlich

WOW. Stop what you're doing and go read the book Everybody, Always by Bob Goff. I haven't finished it, but it's already amazing! I started reading it on my way to Atlanta where we have Launch (Launch is the 5 days of training we have before we fly out to our first country!!). I had just left my favorite grey sweatshirt and the great state of Texas and all of my friends behind for a whole year, and Bob freaking Goff starts speaking into my soul.

He said the Bible can be summed up into one word - with.

Think of the countless times God has promised that He is always with us. His Spirit is with us. Immanuel translates to "God with us." Something I realized is when God tries to comfort us He reassures us by talking about his presence. He doesn't say, "it will be okay, I will make all the hard stuff go away." He says, "it will be okay because I will be with you through it all." Basically, He is cluing us in to the secret that all we need is his presence.

Then, Bob Goff started talking about community. How do you build a community? How do you grow closer to people? How do you develop deep, meaningful relationships? It’s so simple. Just be with them.

Be with them in every season. Romans 12:15 says, "Rejoice with those who rejoice. Weep with those who weep." There is a difference between knowing what people are doing and being with them through it all.

That is a word I want to remember this year. I want to be with Jesus, with my squadmates, and with the people we get to meet all around the world.

Let's be real. The craziest part of it all - Jesus died on the cross just so he might be with us (yep, you and me)! And if we believe in him we get to be with him FOREVER! Dang. That's a good word.

My prayer is that this year would be a whole lot of with. I pray that even when I don't feel like God is there, that I would trust that when he promised he would always be with me...he wasn't lying. "Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go" (Joshua 1:9). I pray that even when I'm tired and annoyed of all my teammates, that God would put a love in my heart to be with them through it all.

I know it won't be easy. Bob writes in his book that Jesus never said loving people would be easy. He just said it would work.

Love y'all,

P.S. If you have any book suggestions let me know - it will be very helpful on long travel days!

P.P.S. T-2 DAYS UNTIL WE ARE ON A PLANE TO UKRAINE!! LET'S DO THE THING!