God has been teaching me a lot the past few months. He’s used phone calls and other communications with people back home to show me how far I’ve come in regards to having grace with people, and to show me how much further I have to go. He’s used harsh distance between friends to teach me that community will always, and should always, come second to my relationship with Him. He’s used kid’s ministry to show me that sometimes I still allow the spirit of inadequacy to hide the passions He’s given me. He’s used my brother to teach me that sometimes the best thing you can do for the people you care about is to fix your eyes on Him and pray (and pray, and pray and pray).
So many of us are ready to get home. In fact, ALL of us are excited about plenty of things waiting for us in the U.S. But what does it take to look at The World Race as a platform for the rest of our lives instead of ‘an adventure we took that one time that was the best thing ever’. The Lord sent us on this journey as an opportunity for Him to be glorified by His good works. He has proven to each and every one of us that He is capable of doing the impossible. He is capable and willing to transform our lives for the absolute best because He wants us to have the best.
As we go into our last month of this particular journey, I am constantly reminded that this IS my life. The World Race is just a piece of the ginormous puzzle that is what the Lord has for me. It doesn’t stop in 5 weeks. It doesn’t stop in 5 years. Following Jesus isn’t a part time, weekends and summers off kind of thing. Once you’ve met Him, once you’ve tasted and you’ve seen… that’s where your long, beautiful, fulfilling, adventurous life begins.
This isn’t just a trip and this isn’t the end, it’s the beginning. This is an open door. For most of us, this is THE open door that we have been looking for. I continue to remind myself to quit looking for the open door and walk through the one that’s been blown off the hinges right in front of me.
Sometimes chasing after the Lord means chasing after things you know line up with His will and desires for your life. You don’t always hear a, “YES!”, but as long as you don’t hear a, “No.” and He will be glorified in what you’re doing, you’ve got a green light. I have some amazing things coming up this next year and I am excited to be walking hand in hand with Him through it all.
How lucky are we to have a God who NEVER walks away from us and who offers us such a remarkable life? God is more than good. God is unbelievably incredible and we are nothing without Him.
