Today is my birthday; I am 24-years-old.
When I turned 18-years-old, I was dying to move out of my house in small town Kingman, Arizona and start an adventure. With little hesitation, I moved 1300 miles away to attend college in Oklahoma. I started a new life, and I barely looked back.
When I turned 19-years-old, I packed my bags and moved to Costa Rica for a 4 month study abroad program. It would be a new adventure! The language and cultural barriers were tough, especially during the first month. Fortunately, after the initial challenges, it was the most fun time of my life.
When I turned 21-years-old, I graduated college and headed off for another adventure. This time, a summer in Spain. Where better to continue developing my Spanish skills? Having already lived abroad, I was more aware of the challenges that living in a foreign country could bring. Once again, I barely looked back.
Also at age 21, I returned home from Spain, but I only had one week to say my goodbyes. I was moving to Chicago for graduate school. Although a growing experience overall, this brought on more difficulties and challenges than expected. In fact, the two years I spent in the “Windy City” were the hardest two years of my life! I again had to start out on my own, knowing no one, and create a life for myself. My desire for a “new adventure” in urban America didn’t always feel so adventurous.
When I turned 23-years-old, I moved to Las Vegas, where my family now lives, and began my career as a high school Spanish teacher. Why did I move home with my family? To be honest, I was tired! I was tired of being far away from family, tired of feeling alone all the time, and tired of the challenges that these fun “adventures” brought me.
I had heard of the World Race, though, and was intrigued. Excited, even! I wanted to do what God called us Christians to do—serve others in need. And the opportunity to serve in South America, a culture that I fell in love with years ago, was a huge bonus. Could it be that God wanted me to join him for 11 months on mission, now, when I was finally getting comfortable at home?
I wanted to go, yet I wanted to stay. I wanted to stay in my new city, with my family, with my new job, at my new church, and involved with my new hobby- jujitsu! Without expecting it, I had gotten settled. And comfortable. For the first time since I was in high school, I lived in a place that didn’t feel temporary. All of a sudden, I didn’t even want the next adventure to South America.
Now I’ve turned 24. I have been fighting God’s call on my life for a commitment to this trip; I have been avoiding conversation about and even thinking about the Race for the past several months. I have been choosing comfort over challenge, trying to convince myself that it would be better if I stayed here.
Then I tore my ACL and meniscus; I am getting surgery on my knee May 9th.
This changed my entire perspective on my comfortable life in Las Vegas. I was enjoying my new hobby of training jujitsu several days a week, but that ability was taken away from me in a one-second knee accident.
I began to realize that comfort could be taken away at any moment. I could lose my job and no longer have financial stability. A fire could burn down my house, and I could lose all my material comforts. In this case, I injured my knee, and now my health was taken away. Although I could have a worse health situation, it still got me thinking: “What is the point of being comfortable?”
In the end, a challenge is what grows me. When looking back at hard times, I realized that the challenges in my life are what made me who I am today. Don’t get me wrong: there are times when comfort is needed! I think that this past year was a time that God knew I needed comforting. My family was close by to support me, love on me, and help prepare me emotionally for what’s up ahead. There is a time and a place for comfort.
However, I don’t believe God calls us to be comfortable forever, at least not comfortable in our American understanding. God wants us to do hard things, get to where we need to trust Him, and have some sort of adventure that challenges us and makes us the person we need to be.
I want to have a life where I am comfortable where God has me, not where I have myself. I believe this is how to live a true life of comfort. Having peace with where you are supposed to be brings more comfort than tangible comforts. What is tangible can be taken away.
So I am fighting my urge to be physically comfortable and instead striving to be comfortable with where God wants me. I want to be challenged. I want to grow. I want to follow God’s plan for my life. This is why, after much struggle, I am now fully embarking on my next adventure:
The World Race in South America.
So will you please support me? I have to raise $5000 dollars by May 13th. Currently, I have $1000. If 100 people give $40 dollars, or 40 people give $100 dollars, I will reach my $5000 dollar goal! This trip will change the lives of many for the Kingdom and glorification of God. Thank you for joining me.
