Well its been quite a journey getting to this point… After hearing about the World Race from a Young Life intern at camp 3 years ago I have never been able to get it out of my mind. I found myself struggling this year between applying for Young Life staff or taking a year to gain more life experience. When my best friend Kylie mentioned the World Race I got chills all over my body and a spark went off inside me. I just knew that God was calling me to do the World Race. It has been amazing to see God in the details of my life and how He has orchestrated my steps to get to this point. He has been so faithful throughout this whole process and I am continuing to trust and depend on Him through it all.
I recently read the book, "The Radical" by David Platt. It is an incredible book and has challenged me in many ways. One thing David Platt said really stuck out to me and made me want to do the world race even more.
"Somewhere along the way we have missed what is radical about our faith and replaced it with what is comfortable. We are settling for a Christianity that revolves around catering to ourselves when the central message of Christianity is actually about abandoning ourselves. The kind of abandonment Jesus asked of the rich young man is at the core of Jesus' invitations throughout the Gospels. Even His simple call in Matthew 4 to His disciples – "Follow Me" – contained radical implications for their lives. Jesus was calling them to abandon their comforts, all that was familiar to them and natural for them."
Jesus calls us to follow Him, to go and make disciples of the nations and that's exactly what I want to do. My desire is to have Jesus' eyes, heart, hands, and feet. To see people the way that He did, to love people and have compassion for people the way He did, to touch and lead people the way He did, and to follow wherever He may lead me. This is an opportunity for me to be broken for the world, to have my eyes opened, and to serve all people as Christ commissioned us. This will be a year of adventure and I am excited for how God is going to use this experience!
The song "I Will Follow You" by Chris Tomlin sticks out in my mind…
