So I said that the next blog would be about what I have been doing since the race ended, but I felt like I should write this first.
Now that the race is over I have to face the reality that there are some things that I didn’t do well. There are other things that I wish I had done, but didn’t for one reason or another. These things can range from not practicing my guitar when I had the chance to not taking more pictures or videos to not taking more time to invest in people around me.
However, it was especially difficult to realize what a bad job I had done at communicating with people at home. This last year was an amazing journey but I didn’t let others come along with me as much as I could have. So my apologies go out to all of you who may have wanted to follow but I did not give the opportunity to, especially those of you who so graciously supported me financially and in prayer. None of this would have been possible without you and I thank you from the bottom of my heart.
But instead of dwelling on mistakes I will learn what I can from them, and there is plenty to learn.
Two major lessons stand out to me.
One is that the World Race is not a miracle cure for anything. Going on the World Race (or any trip for that matter) won’t turn you into some sort of super prophet, fix your prayer life, make you an expert in the bible, give you the patience of a saint, fix relationships or replace bad habits with good ones. You still need to invest God given time and energy into everything that you do.
Another is the nature of humility. Personally, I don’t like to blog or fundraise or make videos or do anything of that nature because I don’t like putting myself out there. It feels somewhat awkward and, at times, almost arrogant. Why should people support me or care about what I’m doing? The problem with this thinking is that it takes the doubts I have about my own ability and importance and extends it to the cause I’m dedicated to. We should have doubts about our efforts, but not about our cause. It’s not about me, it’s about what I’ve been called to do and the one who has called me to do it.
So the truth is that I suck at some things. But it didn’t make this experience any less valuable and it certainly doesn’t disqualify me from having God work through me. It’s in my weakness that He is strong and I’ve got plenty of weaknesses, which I plenty of room for God to do His work.
