The journey ahead is a lot of things for me: terrifying, exciting, mysterious, stretching, etc. I can't wait to begin, yet I have days where I'm horrified at the thought of leaving my hometown and not seeing my parents and friends for almost a year.
I think there are many folks that know me that would laugh at the notion that I'm going to be living out of a backpack for 11 months. I probably would have joined them not so many months ago in laughter.
Why?
- I hate sleeping on the ground
- I've never liked camping, even if I could sleep on a cot and had a bathhouse within walking distance
- I wash my hair every day – without exception
- I sleep on a comfy mattress with a memory foam pad and pillowtop, while resting my head on my memory foam pillow. And I love it!
- I am deathly afraid of snakes. I've said for years that a snake would never have to bite me; I would die of fear at the sight of it…
- Bugs. I don't like them. Not crazy about them being around me when I'm outside and even less of a fan when they're indoors.
- Spiders – honestly, they're repulsive. And we have a history. It's a short one, but a history nonetheless. (A black widow bit my knee several years back. I went to bed without a bite and woke up with it…)
In reality, I may be one of the worst candidates for The World Race in its history for these reasons.
But then again, maybe not… Something pushes me to understand that all of these things pale in comparison to one reality:
The Gospel.
8 Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ 9 and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith— 10 that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, 11 that by any means possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead.12 Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own.
(Philippians 3:8-12)
I want to know Him. He's made me His own.
That's enough. He's enough.
I'll learn to handle the rest.
He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will abide in the shadow of the Almighty.
I will say to the Lord,
“My refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.”
(Psalm 91:1-2)
