A year ago, today, I announced for the first time on social media that I would be doing the World Race, in January 2017. I wrote about how this year would be one where I would depend on ONLY Him, get my heart broken for what breaks His, and pick up my cross to follow Him. Little did I know these things would become so real. Little did I know it would be way HARDER than I could have ever imaged. Little did I know how much God wanted to use me. Little did I know how BIG our God is.
In all honesty, if I could have gotten a preview of what my race would look like before leaving, I don’t know if I would have been brave enough to leave. Truth be told, living in America is so much easier. Especially when you live in Las Vegas- a 24 hour city. Living a life of day to day routine is easy. Choosing your friends, is easy. Serving at a church, instead of being one, is easy. Having every comfort and distraction you need, is easy.
Leaving everything you have behind and having only three outfits, limited toiletries, and one BIG HEAVY backpack is hard. Being practically married to five other women, who you eat, live, work, sleep, pray, cry and laugh with is hard. Having to be flexible and adaptable with everything in your life is hard. Having to share every limited thing you have is hard. Having a new ‘home’ every month is hard. Having to see people hurting and lost on the regular is hard.
Often, I think back to my days in America, and I long for them. Oh, to sleep in my own bed, have a clean shower, with nice clothes so that I can feel like a girl again. Maybe to go get sushi with my friends- or even to go see a movie. It sounds like a DREAM!
But then I also remember the conviction I held in my soul of God asking me to do MORE. To focus my eyes on heavenly things, and die to myself. How I counted down the days till I could free myself of everything and spend a year in community with radical young adults, on fire for the Lord. My heart would just jump at the idea of God using little old me, to shine a bright light in some of the darkest places in this world.
I don’t deserve this ravishing life God has called me to, as I have messed up A LOT. But that didn’t stop Him.
He called me to live a life I would have never imagined myself living. A life that is hard in the most beautiful ways. A life FULL of his love and goodness. A life of FREEDOM! Do you feel the same conviction I felt before the race? Does your soul long to DO MORE, BE MORE, and give up the false ideals of ‘success’ that America holds?
Well, I hope so.
That means you might just be following this crazy God we have. He never called us to live a comfortable, easy life. He calls us to live a life of surrenderance, a life of joy received from Him, a life that holds a striking story.
No, that doesn’t mean you must do the World Race- unless you feel called to! You don’t even have to leave America to do this. You just need to fix your eyes and your heart of our Heavenly Father. Tune your ears to hear His voice, louder than your own. But mostly, you need to have a willing heart to do WHATEVER He calls you to do. And don’t be surprised when He calls you to do something that makes no sense. He’s a funny God, that loves you so much.
He WILL do BIG things with your life, if you let Him. And it will most definitely be hard; but friends it will be worth everything.
There is truly nothing like living a life full of purpose, and in full communion with the most loving, healing, and gifting friend, father, God you have ever met.
Will YOU be someone willing to STANDOUT for the Gospel?
“The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few.”
Matthew 9:37
