Why the World Race? This is the question that I have been asked the most since I have started on this journey.
It all started when I changed how I was praying. See, I am pretty good at trying to plan how my life should go. My prayers had started to sound like this “God, I’m going to need a new apartment in July and a cute apartment in my price range would be great…could you make that happen? God, I’d really like to go back to school and finish my nursing degree…could you make that happen? God, there’s this guy I like…could you make that happen? My prayers were all about what I wanted, instead of asking God what He wanted.
July came and my future dream apartment still hadn’t been found. As I moved out of my apartment and into a friends spare room until I could find a place I felt…excited. The thought came to mind that I could go ANYWHERE. I wasn’t tied down to a lease of any kind. My job isn’t one that I am deeply attached to. I could go to school anywhere. My prayers changed from asking God for what I wanted for my life to asking God if there was something else He had in mind, if He had a different plan and I was just so focused on what I wanted that I wasn’t hearing Him.
I don’t know what I expected but “Go on the world race” wasn’t it.
In August I once again found myself talking to God about my relationship with Him and my future. I decided to take a walk, found a picnic table, sat down and then just listened. It was then that I heard “go on the world race.” I started praying about it, and asked a few people close to me to do the same. Over the next few weeks I learned a few lessons on listening, and trusting as God confirmed yes, this is what I am supposed to be doing.
So here I am a few months later, one application, a few phone calls, over 100 support letters sent out, sharing how God is working in my life with a church back home, and the support is starting to come in!
This. Is. Real. I am excited and nervous. I have so many questions, and so many expectations. There are days I don’t want to go because I like my comfort. There are days I am ready to leave tomorrow! I wonder if I will fit in with my teammates. Will anyone even want to read my blog? I don’t want to miss any big life events while I am gone. I could go on and on…
In this process there is a verse that God has used several times to encourage me as I begin this journey of “impossible” fundraising, and all my questions and I’ll leave with that today. Matthew 19:26 And looking at them Jesus said to them, “With people this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”
