I distinctly remember the first time I told someone about the World Race. I was sitting in a coffee shop with a good friend as the rain poured down on the evening. The excitement bubbled from within me as I recalled the details I had discovered earlier that day on the website. Her jaw immediately dropped following my words “The World Race?…You’ve got to be kidding me!” Turns out she had a college friend who had completed a race a couple years before. I wanted to hear more!
With each story she shared, through following her friend‘s blog…we were both swept away with excitement. “But…I don’t think I could get excited about setting up my tent on a night like this” she said as she glanced towards the steady rainfall. “Well…if you put it that way…I really couldn’t either.”
That was then…
I’m adjusting to a new kind of normal.
Ireland is beautiful and we’ve all felt very spoiled by the landscape. Perhaps the abundance of rain keeps us humble.
When I think of ministry…my heart is drawn to the poorest of the poor. I imagine being quite at home in Africa with an orphan in my arms…albeit heartbroken. But Ireland? What would ministry look like in Ireland? But as it turns out alcohol abuse is off the charts and suicide is more the norm than the exception.
Turns out that everyone needs Jesus.
So in Ireland we partnered with a local church and our ministry looks a lot like street evangelism. Those are such scary words aren’t they? Does that mean that I’m waiving a banner in the middle of the street hollering at people that they are going to hell? I’m happy to say that it does not. But it does look a lot like getting over myself, and walking up to complete strangers to engage in conversation, to learn about their story…and to share mine.
Sometimes I find myself in a conversation that feels pre-destined…like it was supposed to happen…like it was never not going to happen. Like it was planned all along. 🙂
“I don’t think we met by accident” I said with a smile…”No…no…perhaps not.” he said, returning the smile as we parted ways.
I’m definitely adjusting to a new kind of normal.
