Once upon a time, a girl from Wisconsin named Becca went skiing with a friend. One moment, she was waxing hungrily about hot chocolate; the next, she found herself in an emergency room, shrieking while a doctor relocated the bones in her fingers.
She had collided face-first with a tree. Though the doctors literally added insult to her injuries, they marveled at Becca, “but seriously, you are extremely lucky to be alive.”
Months of therapy later, she recovered… almost completely. She lost her sense of smell but gained a sense of purpose. She came away scathed by the notion that her life was spared for significance.
That was eleven years ago. Becca graduated college in May 2010, got a job, made and spent money but those things weren’t enough. She grew aware of the needs surrounding her so she began volunteering and helping out some at church. Even those good things didn’t cut it and Becca admits, “these few feeble attempts barely made a dent in my otherwise selfish lifestyle.”
She elaborates on how her pursuit for meaning came up short in this blog (from which this blogpost has been adapted) and in this interview:
Becca’s given God permission to hijack her life’s storyline through the World Race:
…It just clicked for me. Here is a chance to do something SO meaningful for a world that is hurting. Live with my life in my backpack, strangers [soon-to-become-family] at my side, completely focused on the spiritual and physical survival of others for an uninterrupted 11-months?
CHALLENGE ACCEPTED.
She arrived in Bucharest, Romania, earlier this month for a few days of training; the first of eleven countries on the World Race. She’ll be serving her teammates by managing finances. She also happens to be the 1,000th Racer we’re sending on the field (congratulations, Becca)!
Becca decided to change the world the moment she realized her life almost ran out.
What about you? Have you decided to change the world?
