This month in Haiti I have been given an abundance of opportunities to share my testimony a lot and especially my testimony about coming on the Race. I have been allowed to step into leadership roles that I would have never dreamed of before. I got the ultimate blessing and opportunity of baptizing a young girl three days after she accepted Christ on her mission trip here with her church. The Lord has opened doors of growth left and right, not just for me, but for everyone else on my squad and at Mission of Hope. The one thing that I constantly hear when sharing my experience while on the Race is “wow 11 countries in 11 months….how awesome. A year of traveling. That just sounds so cool. I want to look into that.” I stop them immediately. Here is why.
First of all you shouldn’t look into The World Race because it sounds cool and because we have shared all the amazing highlights. Let me throw some reality at you… this isn’t some glorified vacation. This is a commitment to doing kingdom work for the Lord. It is a decision you need to seriously bathe in prayer. A decision to take to Him, because you will want to make sure this is His path for you.
You will carry your home, closet, bathroom, bed, and all the extras on your back. You will live with mice, bugs, and a lot of different smells. You will risk getting a parasite or food poisoning… or at least, we have. I know you see all the pretty pictures and some fun ones from our off days, but what you don’t see is the hard reality of the lives of those you come into contact with everyday on the field. The reality of everyday living in another culture.
Second, what God has done in our lives on the Race is the same thing that He can do in your life back home or through any other tool He chooses. The difference is whether or not you are willing to be obedient to what He is calling you to do. You have to be willing to give your full “yes” to Him and whatever He has laid on your heart even if it isn’t something like the World Race.
Now don’t get me wrong I am not saying all of this to completely discourage the thought of the World Race. What I am saying is that you need to be obedient to God. Whatever He is asking you to do, no matter how much you think you hate it, or whatever… DO IT! It doesn’t matter what it looks like, how hard it may seem, or what you have to sacrifice. All that matters is that you are in the will of God. Being obedient to His voice and following Him wherever He leads is what we as born again Christians are called to do. That doesn’t mean you have to do it perfect because we will never be perfect. It means walking in obedience to Him and watching His perfect will manifest.
I wrote this blog as an encouragement to everyone out there who is praying, asking, and wondering what God’s next step for you is. I didn’t want to do the Race, but when God says go… honey you go! If you don’t, then get ready to be miserable. You are in the safest place you can be when you are in the will of God. When you give God your “yes” then you will see His faithfulness, His goodness, His holiness, His glory, His anointing, and you will see Him move in ways you have never seen Him move before. Growth will happen and it will be beautiful.
What is He asking you to do? Have you given Him your “yes”?
God Bless You guys and to God be ALL the glory always!!
