Ok, so that title may have aged me a bit, but bear with me here, young people!
Since returning home from abroad, I’ve had ample time to consider how I spent my last year and, like any given year of a life, mine had its ups and downs and many things were outside my control. If I could change one thing, if I could go back and do something differently that might help result in a better Race experience, I would spend more time preparing my mind.
Future Racers, this post is for you! You may be leaving in July or September or even have hopes of going on the Race in January 2015, so NOW is the time to get ready. I’m not talking about shopping for a sleeping bag or figuring out who you’re carpooling with to training camp. That stuff doesn’t matter as much as you think it does. That stuff is about YOU anyway and this trip isn’t supposed to be about you at all, right? That’s the hope anyway–that your Race will make you a little less selfish, a little more compassionate, a little more in tune with the heart and mind of God. So, on what have you been meditating? What’s your thought life like? James Allen said, “You are today where your thoughts have brought you; you will be tomorrow where your thoughts take you.”
Before you can change the world, you have to have thoughts about changing the world. Feelings will get you part of the way, but thoughts, ideas, discussions, strategies, concepts–those are the things that will really make you a world changer. Start thinking right now about poverty, human trafficking and other issues you may face on your World Race. I imagine you’ll be grateful you put the time and energy into preparatory research before you left home and found yourself uncomfortable and dirty and unable to remember why you agreed to this whole “Race” thing in the first place.
To help you get started gaining knowledge, the food of the soul, I am putting together a book list and below are the first few books I recommend to future World Racers. I will continue to suggest titles here a few at a time. So, “take a look! It’s in a book.”
When Helping Hurts by Steve Corbett & Brian Fikkert
Back in 2012, as I prepared to venture around the globe, I wasn’t exactly sure why I felt that incessant tug on my heart to go. Why should I leave my expertly designed life behind to volunteer (that means no income, ladies and gentlemen!) in eleven countries I’d never been to before? The one thing I wanted to do, that I counted on doing, was help people. I figured “helping people” was the thing. The noble thing. The right thing. I was going to help people. What I didn’t understand yet was that my very American version of “helping” may not be what the world needs. Many well intentioned, tender hearted Christians make mistakes in “the name of the Lord” all over the world all the time. If I had read this book before I embarked on my journey, I likely wouldn’t have left such a long international trail of offensive clumsiness. If you only read one book on this list before you leave for your Race, this is the one!
Forgotten God by Francis Chan
I hear this guy wrote a book that’s pretty popular in Christian circles called “Crazy Love.” Well, I try to avoid running in Christian circles, so that was news to me. Someone gave me a copy of “Forgotten God” years ago and I devoured it, considering it a really easy read. Come to find out, many of the concepts presented in this book were brand new ideas to some of my squad-mates, making this a meatier book than I’d originally realized and meant I read again taking more time to ponder some of the chapters. Does your church acknowledge the Holy Sprit? Do you understand what His role is supposed to be in your life? Those are some of the things discussed on these pages in a way that’s not “holier than thou” or too cerebral. Chan makes complex theology easy to digest. You’re about to go to one of the loneliest places on earth: the mission field. It’s a really good idea to invite the Holy Spirit along with you for the trip and this book will challenge you to do just that.
Mountains Beyond Mountains by Tracy Kidder
Put simply, this is a biography about a doctor who is passionate about curing the people of Haiti (and the world) of the infectious diseases they contract largely because of their poverty-stricken lifestyles. He doesn’t believe “first world medicine” should be confined to the first world and does all he can to bring quality health care to those who really need it. For me, it served as an inspiring reminder that one person, even one with flaws he doesn’t recognize, truly can make a lasting positive impact in the world. If you like medicine or public health issues, you’ll enjoy this book.
Stay tuned for more books that will hopefully provoke new thoughts in your head and more informed discussions in your community!
