As God continues to be the author of my life, I see that the World Race is practically a whole new book.
After being written into this volume for almost 3 months now, I’m starting to obtain the capacity to view it from the outside in.
I see that Swaziland and South Africa were the cover and title pages; they are short quips with vague correlations to the content and perhaps some scenery.
Botswana is clearly the Introduction.
My place in the desert physically meant that I could easily draw parallels to being in the valley spiritually.
Because of this, I was provoked to really dig into my life and this new work being written.
The Outline has been laid out, the concept has been revealed.
The best way to transfer this is to start with what I’ve been dealing with.
I’ve been realizing that I’m not on the World Race for the reasons I first believed.
I know it’s not about travel or culture or getting connected with other Christians or even about the fruit of new Christians.
Ministry was mysteriously losing its purpose for me and the thrill of globe-trotting wasn’t quite what it used to be.
Something was happening; the early warning signs of a shift were being seen, but its nature still unknown.
Its infancy was in our debriefing before Botswana.
When I finally began to realize that the World Race is mostly about me and God.
The ministry and team-building and community living are merely tools or products.
Living in the Kalahari for 3 weeks, I began to doubt what God’s point was in having me out there.
God revealed to me that He lured me out into the middle of nowhere so He has the time and space to create true intimacy with me.
Sounds fantastic. That’s an amazing revelation and an awesome vision.
Except that it leads me down one path… “God, if your goal is to pour yourself into me, creating a new kind of bond between us and fostering a level of intimacy that can only be formed through consistent, genuine, personal time with you, then why in the world did you stick me with 25 people in an unheard-of degree of closeness and a complete abandonment of all things personal for the next year?
What’s that all about?”
I was angry when I thought about this.
I was upset because I couldn’t figure out how I was supposed to be and do all the things I have a responsibility to on the Race, and to still totally abandon myself to God.
Literally, for the first time, I wondered if the Race was a bad decision.
I know I have a calling and that God is starting to wake up in me the things that will lead me down that (still quite unknown) path; and indeed, has been working in me for several months now.
So my thoughts basically became: How was I expected to live fully alive in total communion with and sacrifice to God, and still be on the World Race?
What’s the point of all this for me?
Now, as I step into Thailand, Southeast Asia, and the rest of the Race, I realize that intimacy with God is the point.
The part where I get hazy and God is very clear is how.
I see an enormous amount of beauty in being able to trust in the future contents of this book, but the details are still His.
I can see the vision of the rest of the book, the Author revealing the identity and role of the character just enough to project a light out into the darkness.
Fortunately, I (and you) am blessed with a loving and passionate Father whose ideas of details are miracles, works of art, masterpieces, and the waking up of a generation that finds themselves only in Him.
Maun, Botswana
S 19o 55.529′
E 023o 29.143′
3073 ft
Livingstone, Zam.
S 17o 51.250′
E 025o 51.264′
2791 ft
