…was not spent in the Philippino dump,
not at Kawan in Malaysia—heck, not even fundraising inside the
hospital,
it was not spent in the rice fields of Thailand,
or the tree house of Cambodia.
No, no…
It wasn’t even one of the twelve weeks I spent all over Africa.
Not in the orphanage of India,
or in the squalor* of Nepal.
Ha, no…it was not even spent hopping from village to village in
Ukraine.
My most uncomfortable week of the race happened month eleven. My most
uncomfortable week on the race was spent laying on the beaches of
Romania.
If there is anything I have learned from these past eleven or so
months of my life, it’s that comfort has very little to do with the
physical world.
The main religion here in Romania is Orthodox, and while on the
outside it looks as if Orthodox Christians and Lovers of Jesus are
the same, on the inside they couldn’t be more different. Here in
Romania, I have encountered Religion.
I have encountered Religion and it has made me uncomfortable.
This past week my time was spent in the most clean and comfortable
conditions I’ve had in at least eight months, spent laying on the
beach and admiring our God’s creation, spent wrestling with and
standing up for the reality of Grace.
I have always been one to preach Grace. I’ve always been one to tell
you that Jesus loves you right now, just the way you are. I’ve
always been one to tell you that you’re good attendance at church,
your disciplined fasting and your daily Bible reading are not going
to change the way the Lord sees you. He loves you 100% right now and
there is nothing you can do that can make Him love you more and there
is nothing you can do to make Him love you less. He just loves
you.
I’ve always preached Grace. Now I’ve been given the chance to live
Grace, to believe Grace, to walk Grace out with confidence and
assurance. I got to look Religion in the eye and say, “Grace.”
Of course I’m being vague and ambiguous, but that’s okay, I’m
learning a lot. The Lord has taken me on a wild ride these past
eleven months. I haven’t really figured out what most of this year
has taught me, I don’t really know what I’ve learned or how exactly
I’ve grown. But something that I do know, something that has become
more real to me these past months on the World Race is that Papa
loves me. That He just loves me. That His words are true and His
Grace is real. That Christ’s love for us (and there is no greater
love than to lay ones life down for a friend) has covered a multitude
of sins…past, present and future sins. I know that I am His and I
know wherever I’m going next, He’s coming with Me. I know that He’s
got my back and that even if I step out and fall down, that He’s
right there, cheering me on. I know that He’ll never put to shame
those who trust in His name. And I know that I really know nothing
at all, but that nothing is enough. I know that He loves me.
I know that He loves me. I know that He loves me. I know that He
loves me.
And that’s enough.
Thank you Lord for your Grace. Thank you Lord for the Cross. Thank
you Lord for loving us.
“I do not treat the Grace of God as meaningless. For if keeping
the law could make us right with God, then there was no need for
Christ to die.” (Galatians 2:21 NLT)
I will live by the light of the glory you shine on me. I will
live by the Grace that you offer so freely.
*squalor: filth and misery, foul and repulsive, as from lack
of care or cleaniless; neglected and filthy. Wretched; miserable;
degraded; sordid…Nepal.
