Be An EmbRacer [Photos]

So you signed up for The World Race. So you're selling your stuff, sweeping out your skeletons, brushing away the cobwebs of your same-old-same-old 9-to-5 life. So you're accepting the challenge.

Good for you!

But let's talk logistics. Just because you sell everything you own, just because you leave everything you know behind, just because you say "yes" does not mean the rest simply falls into place.

You can show up for the Race and totally miss out.

You can be physically present and emotionally and mentally checked out.

You think it's impossible…. but you'd be surprised. Check that… you will be surprised when it happens to you.

You can take a back seat and coast through your Race, returning home after 11 short months, the same person you were when you left.

What a tragedy that would be!

No one wants to have a life-changing experience and leave unchanged.

No one wants to spend a year of their life investing in growth and leave without transformation.

No one wants to stay the same! That's one of the major reasons we leave everything behind! That's one of the major reasons we choose life, adventure, even the Lord Himself! He promises life to the fullest, not existence.

So what do you do about it?

You become an EmbRacer.

This is the time to step out. This is the time to do new things. Don't like crowds? Immerse yourself expecting something new. Don't like group activities? Join in anyway and see how hearts and attitudes change permanently. Want your alone time more than you want to prefer someone else? Honor your health, but don't limit yourself- trust God to provide you with HIS strength. He will! He doesn't disappoint.

This is the time to face your fear of public speaking. Preach.

This is the time to face your feelings of inadequacy. Exactly who you are is needed.

This is the time to face your bug paranoia. They're out there. They don't really bother you. Honestly.

This is the time to face your complete inability to speak the language around you. Love transcends language.

This is the time to face your disgust of filth. The people that need reaching live in dirty, lice-ridden, smelly places. The ugly, the dirty, the smelly need Jesus, too and are just as priceless as the pretty, the clean, and the fragrant. You have to be willing to go and meet them there in order to bring them light. You can't just throw the light from afar.

So step out! Jump out! Dance out! Shout out so all the world can hear! Throw out your fears, your cautions, your laziness, your chains, your burdens, your past, your preconceived notions of who you are, and embrace everything God has for you. 'Cuz it's a lot. Embrace how His creations are made new, His mercy is made new, His promises are made new every single day. Embrace the scary, the nerve-wracking, the stressful, the change, the unknown, the abundance of life. That's what we're promised. So take a deep breath, and make the leap.