Costa Rica taught me…
… that the race is just a continuation of life.
I was really expecting some huge, crazy, magical shift in my life as soon as I started the race. I thought that life would be completely different… and in some ways it is. But in most ways it’s not. I’m still me. I’m still surrounded by people. People who have lives, dreams, people they care about, real fears, and unique personalities. I still wake up in the morning, eat three meals during the day, and go to bed at night. Yes, it might be other kinds of food and I may be sleeping on a less comfortable bed, but it’s really not all that different.
This means that I have to keep working on the same things I have to work on at home. I have to keep working on putting my trust in God, finding the reasons to be joyful, and learning to work through conflict in healthy ways rather than just running away from it. This means that I need to spend my time wisely – choosing to break away from old habits that would put me in front of a TV screen rather than engaging with the people and community I’m in. This means that I have to continue to go to God for my value and strength, because just like normal life, I can’t do it by myself.
… that I need to be flexible and willing to choose joy even when I don’t want to.
The race can be hard. This month I learned a lot about how things don’t always go the way you thought they would and how sometimes you’re asked to do things that don’t make total sense to you. I learned that sometimes you’re going to spend two days scrubbing stairs by hand to clean them, just to have them walked all over a few days later. I learned that sometimes you aren’t going to see the fruit of your labor. Sometimes the sanctuary you are helping to build won’t be finished until months after you leave.
I also learned that sometimes your ministry is more about supporting your ministry hosts and filling them with life than the actual tasks you’re given. Sometimes bringing out a cake can completely change the atmosphere of a room – filling it with more happiness and joy than you could ever imagine. I learned that my choice to choose or not choose joy affects everything and everyone around me. Complaining spreads like a wild fire, but so does laughter. I learned that our actions and attitudes say a lot. Just because someone doesn’t speak the same language doesn’t mean they can’t read your body language. And just because someone doesn’t speak the same language doesn’t mean they don’t appreciate it when you help with the dishes or offer to help them cook dinner.
… that community is hard. But totally worth it.
Community is about coming together as the body of Christ. I learned that this means hard conversations. I learned that this means truth in love. I learned that this means being uncomfortable and wishing I could be anywhere but in the conversation I’m in. I learned that this means being brave, open, and vulnerable.
But I also learned that through hard conversations comes growth. Through truth in love comes a better understanding of ourselves. Through being uncomfortable comes a whole new level of comfort. And that through being brave, open, and vulnerable, the people around you begin to know the real you. The one who isn’t perfect. The one who has made mistakes and has things to work on. The one who chose to go on this journey that is the World Race.
