It is true. This 11 months of wonderful madness has ended… but not really. It has been less than a week and I feel like it is truly just the beginning.
I was talking to my step-sister Tracy on the phone a few days after my return and she told me her sons Jackson and Eric and their youth group in Oak City, NC has followed me this whole year reading every blog (to which I was completely unaware….ATTN current Racers on the field – this is a reminder, you never know who is reading so keep the blogging up!) She told me as he watched my last video posted he looked up at her and said, “It’s over! Now what am I going to do?”
I remember leaving for The World Race last June, and I spent many weeks (truthfully maybe months) grieving my life. Because I knew it was over. I cried and mourned for what I knew, and what would never be again. I knew I had signed up with an organization that was taking the Bible literally. I was going to have to die to myself….. and see my beautiful Jesus RISE! And boy did He ever!
As the Race was nearing the last month I kept expecting for those same emotions of grief to rise, and they never did. I left my 31 squad mates at the airport… and I was not morning. And I am not grieving. (Of course I was sad to say goodbye, but I know I will see them again, I know we have a connection for life!) Not only did I truly get “born again” into a new and free life but so did my 31 squad mates, and hundreds of others through us!!! This has been BIRTH, new life, freedom! Praise God! YEAH!
Yet, There have been moments this past week of return where I catch myself thinking, “Well, now what?!?” Just like Jackson thought, “Well now what am I going to do?” Like my step-dad Bob says, life is about choices…
So now, I am going to choose to do everything and anything the Lord leads, everyday for the rest of my life. He will continue to open and close doors, ask me to choose in, rise up,speak life, press in, and die to self. He will always ask for more, and it is beautiful. My Jesus is beautiful and so will be my life for Him. What an honor and joy it is to return. This is not so much a “re-entry” as it is just the next country on the World Race. I have spent many of the past months frustrated about the difficult language barriers, and HOORAY now I am in the next country on the list, the US of A and can tell all the amazing miracles the Lord did to me, in me, and through me!! Just think…. if He did this much in 11 months, how much more will He do for all the years to come!
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Thank you to all of you for following my journey. You will never know what your comment or e-mail meant to me as I read them in the heat of the battle. Your words of encouragement were like a drink of cool water! Thank you and keep reading, because I am going to keep blogging!
