The pilots voice crackled over the intercom as I wrestled with my seat to find a position that was again suitable for sleep. His heavy accent and the faltering equipment made it difficult to decipher the words he was saying. In the midst of drifting back into unconsciousness certain words echoed through my mind , “…chest pain…medical attention…Oslo.” Realizing this echo was more than a dream, I jerked to attention.
We were about half way through our 14 hour flight from JFK to Delhi. It was happening. Launch was finally over and the World Race, my world race, had begun. My mind was fixed on the future. The next 11 months danced before me, consuming my attention with an alluring yet unsettling grip on my heart. Surrounded by the conversations and laughter, sighs and breaths of 43 fellow journeymen and countless strangers from different places, all I could focus on was one thing. It’s only a year. Chris, our squad mentor, had mentioned this to our team as were we presenting our vision. He challenged us to go all in, with a simple reassurance that if we weren’t satisfied at the end of our trip we could have our lives back exactly as they were.
Something about that struck a cord in me. A deep pang sliced trough my soul. This year could be anything, but this year could also be nothing. We could be given every opportunity to press in, to go deeper, to live more fully, and yet, none of it was guaranteed. It was all still ultimately up to us. The journey ahead of me wasn’t one of travel, service, and adventure, but one of choice. I could choose to seek the face of my Father. I could choose to work through my pain. I could choose to let His love pour out of me, or I could choose not to. You see, it has always been a choice.
Regardless of my decision, life is happening, which is true for everyone of us. Each day we ARE given every opportunity to live the life we are called to. Unceasingly, we are pursued by a God who has the power to control us, to force us to do His will. Yet, He doesn’t. He always chooses love and so should we.
My mind raced. Oslo? Where the heck is Oslo? I fumbled to pull up the map on the screen in front of me. Norway? Are we seriously about to land in Norway? The flight attendants scurried through the aisles, while everyone was asked to take their seats. There was a man having severe chest pains just a few rows in front of me. In the confusion of grumblings and whispers, I prayed. As the plane touched down, I felt God nudging me. Almost as if to shatter every expectation, plan, and idea of what this trip would be, and to invite again the whisper of more.
