World Race Team Time & Feedback: Honesty is the best policy.
Warning: there are no answers in this blog. No happy ending, no sweet story, and no climax. Just honesty, authenticity and vulnerability.
As I sat down to write yesterday, I had three unfinished blogs in my Google doc and no ambition to finish them. I also had no new ideas for what to write, except I knew I needed to write about what I’m going through and learning right now. I was talking to my teammate about it, and I was telling her I didn’t have any conclusion to what I’m going through right now. I had no answers, no encouragement, no cute story, nothing. I don’t even know how to put some of it into words. So, instead I asked her which of the three unfinished blogs I should continue. She looked at me with a “you know what to do,” look. Realizing what she meant, I opened my laptop and started to write… Well, I didn’t get much farther than writing the warning label, making myself see that each time I would come back to write this blog, so I would be fully honest, authentic, and vulnerable. It doesn’t matter that I don’t have a “happy ending” to this story or any answers to give. Just that I’m sharing my heart and giving the glory to God.
A few days ago, it was my turn to plan a team time and feedback session for my team!!
Wait, what actually is team time and feedback, you might ask?? Let me explain.
We were first taught these concepts at Training Camp back in October 2021. We were told that we’d set aside some time as a team every day on the Race to have team time and give feedback to each other. Team time is an intentional part of our day dedicated to spending time just as a team together. The whole team will take turns planning and preparing what we will do together. Sometimes, it’s worshiping together, writing down prayer request and praying over each other, or doing a Bible study, other times it’s playing Jungle Speed (a team FAVORITE), Egyptian Rat Slap or two truths and a lie, other times it’s watching an episode of a favorite show (read about our team watching H20: Just Add Water HERE), going on a hike, or doing crafts together. It’s always a sweet time to grow in unity as a team and share what our team time leader invites us into with them that day.
Feedback comes in all sorts of shapes and sizes. This could be either “positive feedback” or “constructive feedback.” Positive feedback would be a way of encouraging and affirming our teammates, pointing out good qualities in them that they may not have seen in themselves or bringing to light something that they do or did that shows what Christ looks like or would do. Constructive feedback would be calling someone out, challenging them to live up to the potential you see in them, to grow to look more like Christ. (For example, encouraging a quiet person to speak up more, or challenging a teammate to be more patient.) And it can be delivered in many different ways as well, such as each person assigns a song, or a Bible character that they resemble, or a few days ago, my teammate lead us in a fun session of speaking life into each of us through encouraging words or who we are and our identity in Christ by writing “I am” and our names on a piece of paper and our teammates would write words describing each of us while we sat in a chair in front of it. (read about one of my teammate’s experiences of it here HERE). We have time for feedback and team time just about every day. 🙂
Okay I’m actually starting now…
So Saturday afternoon, I planned a tea party for my team time. We had a lovely time sitting in the sun enjoying hibiscus tea, almond cookies, oranges, wildflowers, the birds chirping, the “cozy tea time” playlist from Spotify, and talking about our childhoods. Then I invited my team to share feedback about themselves and how we can grow to help each other better follow God and example Him. I asked the question, or technically two questions, “What are you learning right now, and how can we as a team help you grow?” I gave each person a piece of paper and colored pencils to answer this question. Then at the end of our party, we all shared what we wrote.
I wrote that I’m learning to trust others and God completely, with my heart, my thoughts, my feelings, and what I’m going through in my mind. With all honesty and no holding back. Then invited my teammates to help me by asking me how I’m doing, pushing me to answer honestly, but giving me space and time to do so, and continually praying for and with me. In the past, I’ve withheld a lot of my true feelings and thoughts. Not wanting to burden others or let others in to see that I’m struggling or hurting sometimes, but always showing that I’m happy and doing well. Lately I’ve felt convicted that if I don’t share, I’m not helping build the body of Christ up or into stronger unity. If we don’t know what we’re each going through, how can we be there for each other? We can’t fight for each other if we don’t know what we’re each fighting for.
The day before on our hike, I had a tough conversation with one of my teammates, about a previous one on one that ended abruptly, which caused frustration, confusion, and a bit of tension. On the hike, we talked about how we felt after that one on one, how we can grow from that, and how it can be better next time. Because of the love and care I knew that this person had for me and resolving this, I felt I could share honestly, not holding back talking about the frustration I felt or the uneasiness of the conversation during that one on one. I’m continually learning that I don’t always need to agree with people and their opinions to love, care, or even just be friends with them. You don’t have to agree with everyone and everything in order to serve others and share the Gospel. The Lord will use each of us and how we are unique to help build His Kingdom.
(Read more about my team’s Adventure Day: Hiking Edition HERE!)
It’s a never ending learning process to lay down your preferences for others and for God to work in your life. I’m learning to be honest, authentic, and vulnerable even when I don’t understand, when I don’t know how I feel, when I don’t want to share, when I get my feelings hurt, when I am annoyed, when I am frustrated, etc. I’m laying down my preferences to always try to understand other people, their opinions, their definitions, etc. and just love them as a child of God, even when it’s hard. I want to love others how God loves others, with no limitations, no exceptions, no rules. It’s not easy, but I know God is gracious and kind. I know God sees and loves others for who they are. I know God sees me and loves me for who I am. We’re only loved as much as we are seen. God knows everything about us. God sees us fully and loves us fully, because He sees, knows, and loves everything about us. He wants us to be fully honest with Him, and others. He loves us so very much and doesn’t want any separation between His children.
Please pray for peace in my mind, honesty in my words, and strength in my heart.
Thank you!
I love you, Clara Grace
Photos from the tea party and hike!!
