Jeremiah 29:11 For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.
I’ve been home from the race now for three and a half months, and at first re-entry was hard.
While I was on the race, several months the responsibility of cooking for my team mainly belonged to me and my teammate Stephanie. We were the mammas. Every week we would plan meals and go to the grocery store. Options were limited and looked a lot different than in America. By month 11 we were pros at going to the markets, shopping on a budget, and still being able to splurge on comfort foods every once and a while.
The first week that I was home, I went to the grocery store to buy ingredients for a salad. A meal that seems so simple, but was extremely rare to get while we were on the race. As I went down the aisles to buy the different items, I began to get overwhelmed. (Overwhelmed became a common emotion the first few weeks.) On the race the option for lettuce, was to buy a head of lettuce. The option for salad dressing was to buy some olive oil and maybe some vinegar. In America, the options are endless. I never noticed how many types of lettuce they sell at the grocery store before the race, or the fact that there is almost an entire aisle full of salad dressings. The options went on forever, and I didn’t know how to choose.
Not only was I making every day decisions, but I was also forced to look at the question “What’s next?” I just got back from an amazing eleven month adventure. I lived with 40 people that constantly pressed into the hard things and relied on the Lord for provision. Everyday we interacted with people of different cultures and religions all over the world. My squad, which I now consider my family, want to see the the hungry feed and the naked clothed. They want to see every orphan with a family, and they want to see every person know the love of Jesus Christ. My family wants to change the world. But how do we go about making that happen? What’s next?
Yet again, the options seemed endless.
Should I move to Gainsville, GA and work at Adventures in Missions? Should I get a job and begin a career? What kind of career do I want to have? What are my passions? Where is a good place to build a solid community? Jesus, what’s your plan? What do you want me to do?
These were the questions that I was asking, and above all else, I wanted to follow God’s plan. For a while I didn’t know what that was. Options were being presented to me left and right, and I didn’t know what to choose. What if I choose the wrong path?
After many freak-outs, breakdowns, and conversations that allowed me to external process with my friends, I came the realization that God is bigger than our decisions. God is 100% for us, and He is always going to work things for our good. No matter what we do, if we are seeking after Him, God is going to bless our decisions.
Jeremiah 29:13 You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart. I will be found by you, declares the Lord…
I began to really evaluate each of my options. God began highlighting skills and strengths that he has given me. He reminded me of the passions that stirred inside of my heart while I was on the World Race. And I came to the conclusion that God has been developing me into a leader for as long as I can remember. And that is exactly what I want to be. I want to be a leader that spread’s the love of God to the nations. I want to be a part of sharing the freedom of Jesus Christ with people all over the world. I want to live my life to the fullest as a daughter of God and bring His kingdom where ever He calls me.
So for this next season in my life, beginning in three weeks, I will be an intern at a leadership academy in Spain called G42. I will be committing to 6 months of discipleship, community, leadership growth and learning how to impact the world for Christ’s glory.
Check out their website:
http://www.g42leadershipacademy.org
The tuition at the academy is $6300. I know that this is where God is calling me in my next season, and just like the past, I know He will provide. I am still $3000 short of being fully funded, so if you would like to donate, you can do so on the website under: Make a Donation/One-Time Donation/Leadership Academy Intern (Ali Watson)
