Before I did the World Race, I prepared myself for the unexpected…by choosing to expect nothing. Well, last time I checked, I am human…and humans always have expectations. Sometimes they are conscious ones…sometimes they are buried deep down in your psyche.
Future World Racer: Read carefully and with a grain of salt (or with a bean of coffee, if that’s your preference)
Don’t do the World Race if:
You want to go on a missions trip.
The World Race is a long-term trip full of one month stints in various countries. Yes, missions is definitely part of the World Race experience. We Racers are sent out to make disciples of all nations, preach the Gospel, and show the love of Christ in word and deed. However, the Race is more of a long term discipleship trip that happens to take place in foreign countries. Community, feedback, interpersonal growth, and individual spiritual growth are all emphasized.
You don’t want to be challenged.
You will be challenged in physical, mental, emotional, social, and spiritual ways. More than you could ever imagined. It truly is not a trip for the “faint of heart”.
You don’t want to work hard.
You have to fundraise for the Race. Regardless of how you fundraise, it takes work. You have to get along with the same five or six people for an indefinite number months. That takes work. You may have to build churches, schools, or homes. That takes work. You may have to cook for your team…or two. You may have to be the financial coordinator for your team…that’s mental work. Volunteer doesn’t mean “no working involved”.
You don’t want to depend on God.
There are times when there is no one who understands what you are going through, but God. There are times you can’t get food and you depend on God to provide. There are times when your bus breaks down in the middle of nowhere. You depend on Him to provide.
You don’t want to change.
You will change. Much more than physically (you could lose weight, gain weight…etc), you will finish the Race changed emotionally, spiritually, and mentally. The Lord will do things in your
heart you never dreamed of…He will break your heart for the lost, the widow, the orphan, the trafficked person. He will break down your walls of invincibility and independence. He will show you sinful tendencies you never knew you had.
You want to be safe.
If any squad has more credibility in this point, it would have to be P Squad, 3rd generation. Throw any illusions of safety out the proverbial window. A car wreck, an earthquake, and a machete-armed robbery only begin to describe my squad, my World Race family’s experience of “safety” on the Race. God never promised us safety when we follow Him…however, He is and always will be good.
You don’t want to sacrifice.
You will sacrifice money, posessions, sleep, comfort, conventional ideas of beauty, and time with family and friends. This last one was the most difficult for me, especially the time a dear relative of mine died and I was not able to be at the funeral. Jesus commands us to leave fathers, mothers, sisters, and brothers…but He tells us He will always be with us.
You don’t want to learn something new.
I learned something new almost every day on the Race. Whether, it was a little cooking lesson from a teammate, a new worship song in a foreign language, or how to find my way around a new city, I was always learning something new. It was exciting. Be willing to learn, and your Race experience will be infinitely more rewarding. My dad always says to be “fat”, faithful, available, and the teachable. Pursue teachability, and you have unlocked the secret to a more abundant life with Christ
You don’t want to experience breathtaking beauty.
Yes, the beauty of the sunsets, sunrises, beaches, mountains, waterfalls, and the rest of God’s creation will astound you. It should. You may also experience beauty in a woman named “Beauty” who cleans your host home with a peaceful smile on her face. You may experience beauty in a baby’s laugh. An elderly woman’s grasp of your hand. A teammate opening up to you for the first time. A man repenting of his sin and turning to Christ. Some say “beauty is in the eye of the beholder”. If your eyes are beholding Jesus, you will find beauty everywhere.
As you can see, deciding to do the World Race should not be a light-hearted endeavor. It should be one considered after prayer, listening to wise counsel of godly friends and family, and reading God’s Word. If you decide to do the World Race, get ready, fix your eyes on Jesus, and watch Him rock your world (yes, I mean that figuratively and possibly literally).
