When you sign up for the World Race AIM tells you, “We are training you for the next 11 months and these next 11 months are training you for the rest of your life.”
That’s nice, but did I believe it?
Absolutely not.
These 11 months were going to be completely different from the rest of my life. Why would I need to know how to live minimally, how to barter in markets, how to stay safe in another country, and how to cross borders successfully? I might need to know how to do some of those things in the future. But might is the key word here.
Then there was the ministry stuff. Ok, I will need to know how to share the Gospel in the future, but I’ve had a ton of training in that already, so I’m not learning anything crazy new there.
Guys, if you haven’t guessed yet, arrogance has been a sin showing up in my life a lot lately.
How could I possibly think that God would choose to not teach me life-changing lessons in this time of serving Him?
I’m an idiot, that’s how.
You may think I’m being a bit dramatic or a bit harsh, but trust me, I’m really not.
A couple days ago we hit the halfway mark of The Race (CRAZY) and God reminded me of what AIM told us during training.
I smiled at my own stupidity. Why would God ask me to do intense ministry for 11 months if He didn’t expect it to become my life?
He wouldn’t.
I just dipped my toes into what God is willing to do to bring Himself glory and there’s no way in Hell I’m going back. I’ve seen Him heal cancer, I’ve seen demons scream at the sound of His name, I’ve seen hundreds fall on their face repenting of their sin, I’ve seen myself and dear friends conquer sin we’ve battled for forever, I’ve seen the most beautiful of the world He made for us, I’ve felt Him and heard Him far better than I ever have before, and I’ve never been more in love. There’s no going back. It’s not even an option.
How could I live the rest of my life not expecting the exact same thing from Him where ever I am? I couldn’t if I tried. He’s the same today, tomorrow, yesterday, and a hundred years from now (Hebrews 13:8 and Malachi 3:6).
I’ve been training the last 6 months to stop placing limits on God, to stop trying to do everything myself, and to just let Him do what He wants to do. Of course AIM was right. This training is for the rest of my life. The World Race is practice grounds compared to the next (hopefully long) years to come.
He’s taught me how to jump when He tells me to. That He will stay beside me always. I don’t have to be scared when I think He’s asking me to do the impossible. God taught me to trust in Him. Trust the impossible. Trust His character. Trust His motives. Trust His goodness.
I’m halfway through The Race.
Halfway through this part of my training for forever.
Financial Update: My final deadline is January 1. I need to be fully funded by then, meaning that I still need to raise about $4,000. You can help by praying, sharing my blog with everyone you know, praying, donating, and praying some more.
