This month of the race, my squad is in Costa Rica. On a farm in the middle of the jungle, we don’t have WiFi, we don’t have cell phone service, and we only have one vehicle that seats 7 and there are a lot more than 7 of us on the farm. Needless to say we have had a lot of time to talk and seek God’s word this past month. 

One day in particular I was feeling emotionally frustrated in a week of feeling emotionally overwhelmed, so I decided to take a walk to be alone, to distract myself, to hopefully see/hear from God. As I’m walking down the dirt road which seems to never end I have the urge to pick up a rock. I don't know why, but I do it and just keep walking. The rock begins to get more and more comfortable in my hand. Then I see a little bigger rock and I drop my first rock and pick it up. I take a few steps when I see an even bigger rock, that is jagged and bulky and not comfortable at all to hold. 

Still walking down this never ending dirt road, slipping on loose rocks, more hills than I can count, carrying this huge rock. I finally ask the Holy Spirit what he wants me to do with this rock. To which He replies ”when you see water throw it in the water.” So I’m looking for water everywhere and I remember the river is coming. I just have to keep walking. So I’m walking and I come to this long decline and then a curve. I know the river comes after a curve, so I turn the corner hoping to see it and all I see in front of me is more dirt, so I keep walking and the closer I get to the bottom of the incline I see a swamp a little off the road and I hear the Holy Spirit  say “throw it”. I threw it as hard as I could. It was difficult, because it was heavy and jagged. As soon as it left my hand I felt lighter, I felt peace. 

On the way back to the farm I get to call home this month I was able to reflect on how Jesus did just that for me on the cross. He took all my burdens for me, so I no longer have to carry those uncomfortable, heavy, undesirable burdens around like chains. 

On the way back, I picked up a rock to protect me from the dogs that like to run after you when you pass their house, but this time as soon as I didn’t need the rock I threw it down. I was so ready to be rid of it. I thank God for the freedom that I have the free reign to walk in. I don’t have to weigh myself down with the sins of my past. I can choose to walk in the newness of life daily because Jesus has already taken all those things and I don’t need to keep dragging around the corpse of my dead self. 

-Elizabeth:)