free spirit: Endure

From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work.

Ephesians 4:16

As Paul talks about his visions for the unification of the Body of Christ, I am not only reminded of humanity, the need for transformation in our world, and of what Christians should be looking for, but I think also about unity in my own life. One thing in particular, the field hockey team.

Here in Ephesians parallels where I envision a strong team: that of pieces (people, players, coaches) supporting each other and doing their part with love to create a whole. This whole can be our team.

Training and preparing for fall season of hockey has in so much dominated my summer to this point. I've been hiking, seeing friends, and hanging around the house, but I have been working out just about every day too. It's been good—a way to decompress and set aside my lingering anxieties of readjusting. Ghana is all over me and inside of me—forever. So, being back in America has been hard. I've needed an outlet, a way to get escape the intensity of being back just for a little while. Doing my workouts, focusing on training my body, it's been what I've needed. And, after mediating on this verse in Ephesians, I am more motivated to do my part.

I want to do my part this summer to be ready in August, and I want to do so with determination, effort, and dedication. I want to be a piece to the whole, a whole that is unified with love.

I've been playing this game for almost 8 years. I know what it takes. I've experienced the good, the bad, the challenging, and the rewarding both on and off the field. It's all a part of the game, of the sport, and playing on a TEAM. I love being on a team. I love working hard, together. I love knowing that I can be a part of something much deeper than some girls trying to put a ball in the cage. I love the adrenaline. And, the obstacles too. Because that is really where the learning begins.

When I walked onto the field to try out for the girls field hockey team at Grandview High School, I was an unsure, nervous, and curious girl. What, exactly, was I doing? I played soccer. So when mom signed me up and got me a weird, candy cane looking stick, I wasn't sure how this whole trying out for field hockey would go over.

Who knew that that hesitant girl would become a true fan of this strange sport of field hockey?

From broken noses to overtime goals to runs at the State Championship to being a part of starting a new team, playing field hockey has been crucial to understanding bigger things. You know, things outside 16 yard hits, corners, and pulls.

Friendship. Humility. Trust. Perseverance.

By no means am I a master of any of these things, but I suppose it is those things that keep me going as I do that extra lap around the track. As I lift a few more weights, and as I embarrassingly do more agilities in front of everyone at the gym.

Yes, I do it so Ellie does not kick my ass.

I do it so preseason is a little less painful.

I do it so I am ready for game 1 of my senior season.

A bigger part of me though, endures through summer training so I can continue being a part of this team, where friendship, humility, trust, and perseverance come with the territory.

I endure because I strive to be a supporting ligament, building in love, and doing my work so the whole is joined and held together.

I endure, because really, this is what I love to do.