I was over at one of my best friends house and she was talking about her blog that is quickly gaining popularity in the health and wellness community. She had been invited to a small conference in Nashville where she met with other likeminded individuals to discuss and share ideas and knowledge. I heard everything she was saying but more than anything it brought me so much joy to see her light up like a Christmas tree. Life teemed out of here and her eyes glittered with a joy that comes from discovering something that God created you for. Leaving her house I couldn’t help but think about when the last time I felt like that was and then, all of a sudden I remembered. I have done multiple things I have wanted to do over the last seven years, but nothing sticks out as much as my outreach time with Youth With a Mission. Not everyone finds joy in bucket baths in the villages of Malaysia but I can say without hesitation it is a part of my DNA. Laying on top of my sleeping bag in a long skirt pulled up to my armpits, on a concrete floor in a village church, sweating like I got paid for it, exhausted but the heat keeps you awake or at least semi-conscious, where the roosters come in at 5am and cock-a-doodle-do and it reverberates throughout the church, when I look back over my pictures from my outreach time with Youth With a Mission, there is no mistaking that life poured into me AND out of me. I think I would have hurt myself if I had smiled any bigger. River baths, riding in the back of trucks going entirely too fast up dirt roads, eating food you can’t identify, doesn’t appeal to everyone but I can tell you that is the time I point to in my life when asked what the highlights are. The pinnacle I dare say.
About two months ago I had a stirring urge to sign up for singing lessons. Now this wouldn’t be a big deal unless you know that I don’t really love being the center of attention, much less performing of any kind. I’ve never sang in front of anyone and wondered every once in a while if I was tone deaf. However I just wanted to do something outside of my normal, flirt with the edges of my comfort zone, and by flirt I mean, take a running leap and only stop to feel all the fear while I am on my way to my first lesson. I signed up with a dear friend of mine that I have known for a long time, she is an incredible worship leader and has an amazing voice. She also has a way that puts people at ease and makes them feel comfortable. Still, on the way there, I thought, “what am I doing? I don’t want to do this. This is ridiculous.” I had told her in my initial message that I didn’t ever want to sing in front of anyone, I didn’t even know if I COULD sing and I was afraid I might sound like that seagull from Little Mermaid. She laughed and fit me into her schedule. I still sound a little like this to myself…
A week ago, I was scrolling through Facebook and I saw the World Race status about still having slots on Januarys route and I felt a gentle nudge. I was surprised and immediately called a few of the ladies that I get the privilege of doing life with to run it by them and see what they thought/sensed. From “I’m not surprised” to “I can’t believe you haven’t applied sooner” it was loud and clear that the next step was to at least apply. I prayed and asked God to speak to the adventures in missions staff. It is not often they turn people down but I pleaded with Him to have them turn me down if I wasn’t supposed to go. I experienced a flurry of emotions, unsure if it was the right, unclear if it was the time. God had been speaking to me since the beginning of the year that something big was coming at the end and I had no idea it would be the world race.
What I am learning right now is that I’m not tone deaf (at all! yay!), comfort zones are only as big as you allow them to be, and He might just call you into everything you have been created for in a way you didn’t see coming.
Here are a few of the pictures from my time in Malaysia, the left is from our last night in the village that was full of many tears and lots of laughter and the right is from a orphanage that we spent time at loving on the kids.
