Can you remember the last time you had to be brave?
My story begins here: with ‘being brave’.
About a month ago I was accepted onto the World Race, launching in January 2016 and I couldn’t be more ecstatic. Even in just beginning this journey, I have learned many things, particularly about ‘being brave’. Although, before I get ahead of myself, I would like to share ‘why’. Why the World Race? Why do I feel called to this?
It’s hard to begin this story without first talking about Jesus. In my life, I have come to know the redeeming, grace-filled, restoring, and faithful love of Jesus. God is in the process of daily restoring me more fully into an Image-bearer of Him. The World Race is one of the many ways He is doing this in my life.
I believe that God has called me out, in faith, to the World Race.
Why?-Because I have been wired by my Creator to serve His world in this capacity. I thirst for the beauty of new places and people. I like experiencing what it means to be small in the bigness of who God is in His world.
Why?-Because I believe in the truth of the Gospel and sharing it with others. The Gospel is powerfully proclaimed by one’s actions. I want to pursue a lifestyle where I can be the hands and feet of Christ through my actions, not just my words.
Why?-Because God does redemptive work in overseas missions. God wants to fix broken stuff and I want to be a part of God’s movements of justice and redemption throughout the world.
Why?-Because I want to pursue growth. Part of this life is that God calls us to do hard things-in the process God goes before us and teaches us to trust, to love, and to seek truth.
Why?-Because I want to be brave.
Ever since college the World Race has always been something simmering in the back of my mind. For a long time I did not fully considered pursuing it until I went on a mission trip to Thailand in May 2014. On this trip, our team did outreach in the red-light district. God broke my heart for His world through the things I witnessed. It changed my perspective in such a way that I needed to be faithful to what I had seen and how I had been changed in the process. Not only that, but I fell in love with travel, missions, & the world in a deeper way. God revealed part of my calling and He clearly was saying, ‘Emily, follow me.’
I think God calls us as His followers to live lives of abandon for Him in pursuit of His Gospel. For example, Jesus called His disciples to follow Him and leave everything, in faith. Jesus tells Levi, a man who would become one of His disciples:
“’Follow me,’ Jesus said to him, and Levi got up, left everything and followed Him.” (Luke 5:28)
So, here I am preparing and fundraising to leave for the World Race in January 2016. The road to even making this decision was challenging. I had to wrestle with a lot of fear and a lack of trust. Although, I realized I never want these to be things that hold me back from my calling. God is pretty specific in Scripture that we can trust Him- we don’t have to be chained to our fear and doubt:
“Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are mine.” (Isaiah 43:1)
I was given advice by a dear friend and mentor, as I was thinking about applying for the World Race, that there was going to come a point where I would have to jump: running with arms wide open, abandoning your fear, and trusting God will catch you.
Jumping required me being brave.
I learned that jumping was just the first step in being brave. I need to be brave in asking for support, in leaving what is familiar, in walking towards something unknown.
I am reminded of the Israelites and their fleeing from slavery in Egypt. I cannot imagine what being brave looked like for them. I come to the point in the story where the Israelites have just fled from Pharaoh in Egypt and their lives as slaves. They have just tasted freedom for the first time. Then, they look behind them to see Pharaoh and his army approaching them. The Israelites responded in fear to Moses: ‘Was it because there were no graves in Egypt that you brought us out to the desert to die? What have you done to us by bringing us out of Egypt?’ (Exodus 14:11)
God uses Moses to remind them to be brave and not fear. He reminds them to trust Him:
“Moses answered the people, ‘Do not be afraid. Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the Lord will bring you today. The Egyptians you see today you will never see again. The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still.’” (Exodus 14:13)
How cool is it that in being brave God fights for us? We only need to be still and we will see the deliverance of the Lord. Being brave is something God calls us to, even in the midst of hard situations.
God is in the process of breaking me of my fear: breaking me of my lack of trust. I am learning how to be brave. I am learning to leave my fear behind and walk forward in freedom towards the World Race and all that He has in-store for me.
