Travel days have quickly become some of my favorite days on this journey thus far. Before the race, I had only heard horror stories of 30 hour bus rides.. and janky transportation with no AC… and endless hours of hauling 75 pounds of luggage down long winding dirt roads with no end in sight… I have to admit I was terrified. I can hardly pick up my feet these days under the assault of the Central American humidity.
What they didn’t tell me was it’s all about perspective. And while many others prefer to sit in their seats and sleep or watch hours upon hours of movies (until they can no longer see more than two feet in front of their face or count how many fingers I’m holding up), or keep tally of hours spent sitting at border patrol (a fair number is ‘many’), I prefer to use this time to watch the best movie I’ve personally ever seen…right on my personal TV screen that is also my window.
Two bus rides, a ferry ride, and two cab rides later found me on one of these dreaded 12 hour bus rides to San Jose, Costa Rica. I sat shivering in my seat, knees at my chest, slowly bobbing my head to the sweet sound blaring through my headphones, eyes glued to the window. Luscious greens and blues painted a beautiful picture right before my eyes. I hardly blinked, just trying to take in every second of magnificent scenery God was directing for me.
The channel changed as the night fell and a storm rolled in. A brilliant light show illuminated the sky and left me completely awestruck at how powerful and present God is in every part of His creation. A fire burned within me and I was consumed with an overwhelming love for God. I tried to think of how I might express such an inexpressible feeling to someone when the perfect song started playing through my headphones.
I want to hear You say well done
I want to be welcomed in
I want to feel Your love like sunshine
On my resurrected skin
…
I will run
Oh and I won’t quit
Chasing Your heart
Just like David did
I’ll coming running
Through the gates
Looking to Your face
Oh I can hardly wait
Until You carry my soul
Carry my soul away
Carry my Soul, Phil Wickham
I began to wonder if we as believers really take enough time to think about just how amazing it will be to run through the gates of Heaven! Adrenaline pulsed through my veins when I imagined just how fast I will run through those gates and just how hard the blood will be pulsing through me as I look and behold God, for the first time face to face. I just about jumped out of my seat with excitement..it was as if I was legitimately on my way to heaven right then and there in that freezing cold TICA bus.
Suddenly, the weight of saying goodbye to the little children at CICRIN child center and the homesickness and loneliness I had battled the last couple weeks completely lifted off my chest. I was refreshed by the grace of God with renewed purpose and excitement for the journey ahead. As long as I’m on my way to the pearly gates, nothing in this world will distract me from my love and pursuit of God. I rejoiced for the difficulties and challenges I’ve endured the last couple months because they brought me right into an intimately beautiful moment with God.
In about an hour or so we will pack up another bus and head out to San Felix, Panama. For those that I haven’t been able to update – my team has been re-routed to Panama instead of staying and ministering in Costa Rica for the month. My team is headed to work with IC Jesus ministries, an organization that aids twelve local churches for deaf and blind. As for now, that is really all we know about what we will be doing. Please pray for guidance in the unknown – and look for an update soon! 🙂
Until next time!! <3
