Lately I’ve been thinking so much about leaving.
I’m not just referring to the World Race, I’m talking about that feeling you get when things get really mundane or uncomfortable or lose their satisfaction and you just want to pack up and leave. Through conversations with friends or scrolling through Facebook, we get the sudden feeling that we’re missing out on something. We’re lacking in some fundamental way. Maybe we can put words around it. Maybe we can’t. So we reason, maybe we just need a change of scenery. Maybe what we need is adventure. Quit our jobs, pack up, and leave. Take some cool Instagram pictures and hope that other people envy our courage.
Recently one of my favorite writers I follow, Shauna Niequist, posted a quote on her Instagram account that made me rethink my motives for leaving for the World Race and what it really means to be brave:
“People always say, ‘You sailed around the world? That’s so brave!’ You know what’s really brave? Staying put and making a meaningful life.”
I think that sometimes the nudge we get to leave is valid. I totally believe that God is constantly calling us out of our comfort zones and to leave behind our former selves. And sometimes we need to walk away and leave behind particularly painful or dangerous situations.
But sometimes our motive for leaving is simply fear. Sometimes we think that by running away we can outrun our biggest burdens and insecurities, only to find them waiting for us as soon as we start unpacking our bags. When we’re trying to find satisfaction in things and people instead of God, we find ourselves simply chasing one high after another, only to be brokenhearted at the first sign of disenchantment.
When I pack my bags in September and leave my parents at the airport, I can say will total confidence that I won’t be running away from anything. I’m looking forward to the excitement and adventures, but it’s not why I’m going. I’m leaving because I see this is a tremendous growth experience, and I’m eager to be used by God in unexpected ways. Also, as I mentioned in the video in the previous post, I really believe that God specifically gave me this dream for a purpose– not to make myself seem impressive or particularly brave, but because He uses us all in various ways according to our own individual strengths, gifts, skills, and passions.
When I talk to people about my trip, I usually hear a similar awe and envy that the quote I mentioned above connotes. And yes, I totally agree that going on the World Race requires a certain degree of courage and gumption. However, I would argue the very same for everyone else willing to dig their heels in and create a life of meaning, adventure, and growth from right where they are. God uses us in an infinite amount of ways. The rest of the world will tell us that we’re only as interesting and worthy as our job descriptions and the number of stamps of our passports. But the Lord assures us that we’re inherently worthy because He created us, loves us, and cares for us.
The fact of the matter is, seeking adventure, meaning, and growth seems bleak when days feel mundane, ordinary, and maybe even painful. But if I’ve learned anything, it’s that the details of my life are immensely important to God, and He’s writing a story worth sharing, regardless of how “impressive” it may seem to onlookers. We have the opportunity to be brave every day of our lives–maybe that looks like leaving, and maybe that looks like staying.
