This is my second post in preparation for my journey starting in September.
For all of you who may not know, I believe that Jesus is calling me to HUGE leap of faith and follow Him through participating in the World Race. How was I called? I'm not entirely sure exactly. I basically stumbled upon the World Race over a year ago by a random chance of events and after I saw it, googled it, youtubed it, I couldn't stop thinking about it for the longest time.
I knew at the time of finding it that I wasn't called to leave during that time of my life. Jesus had placed certain opportunities in front of me that I knew He was calling me to follow through with. So I did just that.
Just a glimpse of who I am in more detail..
I am a junior at Oklahoma State University majoring in Secondary Education Science. For the longest time, I truly believed that I wanted to teach the youth and help them be excited about learning. I was in my third year of my major classes and had been observing classrooms and thoroughly enjoying what I was becoming a part of.
On the other hand, I was being completely exposed to the glory of the Kingdom by being able to serve my sorority as the Chaplain for this year. I absolutely loved everything about being able to serve 150+ women and walking with them through their lives. I loved meeting with them and simply doing life with them. Walking with Jesus together. I couldn't get enough of it. It was like I was living two totally different lives. Not to say that there was something wrong with the fact that at the time I was completely excited to teach but I felt my heart was torn between doing something that kept me safe and then surrendering to a life that would mean to truly surrender all that I've become accustomed to. What did that even mean? What was my calling? How on Earth could I just walk away from everything I knew to pursue a lifestyle that was becoming such a part of my heart.
Around Christmas time, I was blessed by our gracious Father to go on a missions trip to Belize. It was such a beautiful trip of love, redemption, and rawness of the Lord. I wouldn't say that God necessarily called me to missions at that time or that He's called me to be a missionary but I will say that trip definitely lit my heart on fire for the sole purpose of loving and serving God's children. Being His hands and feet.
When I came back home, I felt like a stranger. I couldn't quite grasp what was going inside of my heart and it drove me absolutely insane. I wasn't excited about education anymore. I wasn't excited about being at school. I had a hard time being back but I wasn't sure what was going on.
So, I sought wise council from the Man upstairs and also some of my friends and mentors. I just asked God to show me where it was that He was calling me. What was it that I wasn't seeing that my eyes needed to be opened up too.. and there it was again.. The World Race.
I surrendered. I said.. I'll do it.
I came to a place in my life where the world would demand me to stay and finish my last year of school. Where my family wants me to finish my degree and get a job and get my loans paid off. Where my friends are heartbroken that I am leaving and I am right alongside them feeling the same thing. Where I'm at a crossroads of a huge milestone in my life where I have to tell myself I was made to run. Run after a calling from a God who sent His son to die for me, for us, on a cross. To love us so much that He would die and take my burdens, my sins, my mistakes, on His perfect, blameless, body and never see them on me again.
I was made to run after those who haven't experienced this type of love.
I was made to tell them of their worth in Jesus Christ.
To do life with them.
To help them.
To serve them.
To LOVE them.
To run until I can't run anymore.
Me and Jesus running. That is what I was made to do, guys.
So, when the asked.. How was I called to go on this trip?
I guess it was just time I finally took my first step and started running towards the heart and core of my inner being. I want to serve and love God's people. I want to share the love of Christ and be a light to such a broken world.
I'm done sitting in a classroom. I'm done being complacent. I'm done being fearful of following my heart.
But I am ready to run.
Because, simply, that was what I was made for.
