You’ve finished launch.
You get on your first international flight to your first country. You’re so excited. It’s month one! This is the moment you’ve been waiting for since you filled out your first name in the blank on the application.
By month four or five, you’re really getting used to this lifestyle…life change, if you will. You probably know your whole squad really well. You may have had arguments with some of them…or most of them. I mean, every squad is different. You might be missing home a little, but the excitement is still so know so you get over it quickly.
Month eight or nine approaches and boy, now you’re a PRO. This is so freaking normal you could do it with your eyes closed. But you just found out more information about coming home and by this time, you probably think about home at least once a day. You really miss it. You miss your old community of friends that you hung out with before the race. You even miss your family and mom’s home-cooked meals. Matter of fact, any kosher “American” meal. And if you see another rice grain, you have considered spitting it out and just eating one of those stale cookies you bought from the nearest store.
Next thing you know, your return date is here. You get to see your loved ones in about…2 flights. You’re actually a little nervous, because this is the life you know now. Packed van rides. Rice on rice on rice. Eating, sleeping, praying, working with the same people all the time. But the excitement clouds all of these emotions, so you quickly forget.
Flash forward and now you’re home. You’ve been home for 4 or 5 months.
And you miss it all.
For some of you, maybe only parts.
But the point is, in some way or fashion, you miss something about the World Race. Maybe the constant love you felt from the Father or the hugs from the neighborhood kids or the scenic views on the daily walk to ministry. Perhaps, you miss only the simplicity of the race.
Which leads me to me saying something you’ve heard 100 times over.
Don’t worry about home.
Home will be there when you get back, but it will be different, I can promise you. Your community won’t be exactly the same. Even something will be different about your parent’s house. And most importantly, YOU will be different.
Things just won’t be completely the same at home.
Therefore, I urge you, live every moment and every opportunity while on the race.
Go pray for that person on the street in the Philippines. Go fight for that woman in the bar in Thailand (not literally though, of course). Go spend some time with those kids in the neighborhood that are so cute, but they get on your nerves sometime because they won’t leave you alone. Go talk to your ministry contact and learn more of his/her story.
GO!
Take advantage of every second. I know you’re tired, but as the old saying goes:
You will regret more of the things you didn’t do rather than the things you did do.
And rather than worrying about what you’re doing after the race…Focus on what lies in front of you. Whether it’s an international flight to your next contact. Or the conversation you have to have with your teammate to ease tension. Or the new ministry day. Whatever it is…
Focus.
Home will be here soon enough, but this particular opportunity (the World Race) that you have to learn more about who you are in your Father and more about the people that surround you does not come like it has this time.
Matthew 6:34 (NIV) — Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself.
Don’t forget! I have actually moved most of my blogs to a new site. Check it out to learn/read more about what’s going on in my life! ericadenton.wordpress.com
