Just when I think it hits me that this whole World Race
thing is actually happening,
something comes along to make it just a little bit more real. First I bought my gear – that was bizarre and
jarring and a wakeup call. Then I went
to Training Camp and met my squad and thought, “This is it. We’re actually going to do this.” Then I got the departure date and I thought
that I had a grip on the reality of it all.
I was wrong.
It’s real now. My family dropped me off at the airport this
morning and as we cried and prayed and said goodbye, the questions came rolling
in like waves.
What if I’m crazy?
What if I can’t do this?
What if I don’t have the wherewithal to actually follow
through and leave?
What if I can’t make it this year without my family?
Luckily for me, I serve a God who not only welcomes the
questions, but delights in them. I serve
a God who is bigger than doubt, stronger than fear, and infinitely more lasting
than any pain or sadness of leaving home.
I serve a God who takes the very questions and concerns out of my hand
and reshapes them into something that brings hope instead of fear, joy instead
of heartache, peace instead of anxiety.
While I worry and second-guess and question the Lord on whether or not I
can do this, He has turned my questions upside down.
What if God really can
do what He says He can do, that He really will
fulfill all of His promises?
What if my squad gets to usher in an era of hope and triumph
to the dark places in this world?
What if I really can make a difference in the lives around
me?
What if God really does want to work through a hopelessly
inadequate and scared twenty-two year old woman?
What if a small step of faith and obedience are the only
tools that God needs to change my life forever?
What if I missed all of it because I was too scared to get
on a plane?
So here I am, on a very bumpy flight to Atlanta, and I guess I am as
ready as I will ever be. The Lord says
in Habakkuk 1:5,
“Look at the nations and watch – and be utterly amazed. For I am going to do something in your days
that you would not believe, even if you were told.”
This is the promise that I cling to, the anthem that I sing
as I leave. This year will certainly be
the hardest year of my life thus far, but also the most incredible. And I would not want to miss it for the
world.
The only other question I have is what about you? What if you came with me? What if you joined this incredible adventure
through prayer, financial support, blog comments, or emails? What if you stepped into the specific role
that God has planned for you this year?
What if this adventure changed your life too?
What if it all starts right now? And what if we miss it because of fear or
busy schedules or complacency?
I’m already on the plane…I hope to see you here soon.
