To all future world racers, the race isn’t as crazy as you think…actually it’s quite normal. Some racers may anticipate staying in straw huts with bugs, no electricity or running water, and roughing it for 11 months. I’m here to say, “the race isn’t as abnormal as you may think.” I have slept more hours on buses this year than normal, haven’t driven a car in 11 months, and eaten 3 different meals on rotation for a month, but I’ve never slept in my tent and never eaten unidentified cuisine. My route spent 5 months in Asia, 4 months in Eastern Europe, and 2 months in Southern Africa. Many months I have had, a bed to sleep in, normal food to eat, electricity always and wifi often, and amazing adventures. While some racers do spend time in remote villages, most months you have nice accommodations. Nevertheless, you will learn to celebrate a bed (instead of a bunk bed), having space to yourself, and carpet.
In Ukraine (month 9), I had regular access to internet, struggled to have quite time, taught English each day, and ate in abundance. That month I realize the race is quite normal. I was surrounded by distractions and determined that just because I was a missionary for a year, I didn’t have spiritual superpowers. As I look back over the last 11 months, I can see the same roller coaster of regular life. I can identify good months where I felt close to God and hard months where I struggled to listen and sit quietly. I can identify good weeks where I loved my team and ministry and hard weeks where I didn’t want to go to work. I can identify good days where I had amazing adventures and memorable experiences and hard days where I just wanted to go home. The world race doesn’t fix every problem but it does give people a chance to be intentional each day. Yes, spirituality is a bit easier because you are put in a community that pushes you to reflect Christ and an environment of service, however when you wake up each morning you still have a choice. Do I choose to press in and get the most of my day or do I choose to crawl back into bed and “start” tomorrow?
At the end of the day, this is my life. Whether I’m in America, Thailand, Ukraine, or South Africa, I want to live intentional and not waste my days. I’ve notice as people pray for me I’ve heard them saying, “when they go back to their real life…” News flash :: This is my real life. The people I encounter and work beside aren’t on vacation. This is their real life and mine. I only get one chance at this thing called life. I get about 80 years (about 30,000 days). What am I going to do with them? What people will I meet? What impact can I make? Who’s life can I change?
