Change is an inevitable part of every World Racer’s life. After all, you’re leaving your home for a year to go on a trip where the only expectation you’re allowed to have is for none of your expectations to be met.
Many changes happen on the field during 11 months, team changes, route changes, heart changes. These things are normal and expected.
But there are also many changes that happen “back home” when you leave for a year, and these can be harder to deal with.
Some changes are good, expected changes. Last March, my sister called me with a question: “Guess what I’ll be doing while you’re in Cambodia?” On December 5th, an adorable pink bundle of love entered our family, and my niece, Lydia, was born.
Some changes are good, unexpected changes. My mom is quitting her job, and moving from our house in Michigan to Virginia to take care of Lydia for a few months, as my sister goes back to work.
Some changes are hard, expected changes. When I was 6 years old my family went to a shelter and brought home a tiny bundle of orange fuzz named Scutterbotch, who soon became much more than just a pet to me. He was like a little brother, cuddling with me, playing with me, and comforting me when I was sad. I knew, when I left for the World Race, that he was getting really old and losing his health. A couple weeks ago, my mom told me she took him to the vet and his suffering was over.
And some changes are hard, unexpected changes. With my mom’s new job and the loss of our cat, my parents have officially put our house up for sale, and I may never actually go back to my childhood home.
When all these changes seem to happen at once, it can leave a change-o-phobic like me feeling alone, sad, confused, and wanting to go home. I wish I could watch my niece grow up, I wish I could help with her upbringing, I wish I could have been there at the end of my cat’s life, and I wish I could help get the house ready to sell. I don’t like feeling stuck halfway around the world with no way to help, comfort, or enjoy my family.
But one thing encouraged me: None of these changes were a surprise to God. He knew everything that would happen long before he called me to the World Race. He knew I would be sitting in a hostel in Malaysia when my niece would be born. He knew I would be waking up in my bed in Kosovo to the news that my cat had died. And yet, he still wants me here. Right here. Right now. And I can rest in faith, knowing His plan is greater than my own.
