Comfortable beds? Yes please.
An abundance of space? Uh huh.
Huge grocery store? Sure.
Free wifi? Absolutely.
Warm showers? Of course.
Feeling like you're back home? Sweet…wait….
As I said in my last blog life here in Romania (or as we adopted the name, "Romerica") was not what I expected. We went from living in tents and eating what we were served to having access to pretty much whatever we wanted. It was glorious…but only for a little while.
If you told me that I would be experiencing a month like this on the Race, then I probably would have laughed at you and sweetly told you that that is simply not what I was signing up for. I was signing up to be uncomfortable, not comfortable. I was signing up to be stretched and challenged, not distracted by the things of home. But the Lord knows what we need and I did need this month.
When I walked into our wonderful house at Caminul Felix I was instantly smacked with comfort, and I was ready to be comfortable again. It was so drastically different from Haiti and I thought to myself "it doesn't get much better than this," but about two weeks and a few Criminal Minds episodes later I realized that I had barely spent any time with the Lord. Sure, I had my morning 15 minutes before we began ministry, worship time every Thursday, and my Hillsong playlist to fall asleep to, but that was it. I was desperate to hear from Him and was wondering why I couldn't. Then, I realized it was because I had dissolved back into life at home just as easily as salt dissolves into water. I was hit with the wonderment that if I were to leave the Race today, would my life look different? Would I relentlessly pursue the Lord? Would I reach out to the "least of these" in my everyday life, or just go about pursuing my selfish desires?
I had a lot of time to process going in and out of sleep on my 10 hour train ride to Brasov for our mini debrief. As I was talking with Austin, one of the other team leaders, I realized how easy life was this month, but how hard this easy life was.
When we arrived to Brasov we hiked a mountain with some of the squad. I was easily the most out of shape, but made it to the top with the sweet encouragement of Holli and Sarah. As we overlooked the city of Brasov and I got to catch my breath again, I began to pray and thank God for His beautiful creation. Ben began to play his guitar and we began worshipping.
It was so good
My squadmate Sam sitting on top of the mountain
It was like I was drinking from a never ending fountain and I couldn't get enough. Then, the Lord brought this verse to my mind and heart:
"As a deer pants for flowing streams, so pants my soul for you, O God" Psalm 42:1
Oh, how my soul was thirsty for the Lord, and I was finally tasting of His goodness again. I felt alive and free.
None of the things that I listed at the begining are bad. They are all really great actually. Life back at home is wonderful, but I want my life to look different. I was to share the love of Christ to others and I am going to have to fight to do that sometimes. I'm going to have to give up the easy life daily. But I am up for it.
Bring on the fight.
Bring on the battle.
Because beyond the battle is the beautiful pursuit of a beautiful God.
