Before the World Race I had been in a train one time. That was the time my grandfather, Raymond, took me to CSX, the company he retired from, and let me sit in the engineers seat. While I was in the engineers seat, I remember pulling the handle to sound the horn and feeling like I was important. I felt power when I pulled the mighty horn to let everyone who was around know that I was there. I was probably 3 or 4 years old at the time Raymond took me to CSX. 20 or 21 years later, I am on a sleeper train for the 3rd time this year traveling 30 hours across the country of Ukraine. It is probably the 30th train ride that I have been on while on the world race but my 3rd train ride across a country. I look forward to the thirty hour train rides. Why do I love the long train rides instead of dread them? It is simple. God allows me to sit in the engineers seat and pull the handle.
During every train ride I have been on, God has been right beside me being a father to me. For most of the train ride I am worshiping and talking to my Abba. He allows me to ask Him any question that I desire. He helps me understand what I don’t understand. He guides me through whatever I am struggling with in a loving way. He allows me to spend time with Him and He makes me feel important. During our conversations, He calls me His son and tells me that He is proud of me. He will explain to me why He has been speaking certain words to me and will clarify those words that are being spoken into my life. These train rides are so important to me because I get to spend quality time with the father. Every time I spend quality time with the father I feel as if I get to pull the horn again. God gives me power to ask him anything, pray for anyone, be vulnerable with Him, and He makes me feel loved!
When I get off of this train I will have 10 days left until the world race comes to an end. It will be a bittersweet time. I have to say goodbye to all of my companions that I have been traveling with over the last year but at the same time I get to say hello to all of my family and friends I left back at home. I will be welcomed home to all of my family and close friends waiting on me at my grandfathers house!
My world race will be over soon but it is just the beginning of a life long journey of following the one who created me. I have decided to follow Jesus wherever he leads me for the rest of my life. Sometimes I will have to get out of the boat to follow Jesus placing my full trust and faith in Him. And sometimes I will jump with excitement at what He is calling me to do. Sometimes he will reveal to me where we are going and sometimes I will have to pack my bags and say alright lead me to where you want me to go. I will have to walk by faith and not by sight.
I don’t want to merely follow Jesus without being taught and led by the rabbi himself. I want to follow Jesus in a way that is radical and different. I don’t want to blend into the world anymore. I know way to many people who call themselves Christians but do not live in a way that glorifies God. They simply blend into the crowd and people cannot see Jesus in them. I used to be one of those people a couple years back. I thought that I had a relationship with the Lord but really I was walking in darkness with the rest of the world. I was not glorifying God in any way when I would go drink a 24 pack of bud light to get drunk. I was not glorifying Him when I was smoking weed to get high. What I was doing was trying to fill a hole in the depth of my soul that God can only fill. I tried filling the hole with drugs, alcohol, girls, etc. But in the end I was still empty! I don’t want to be that person anymore. I want to be the person who people look at and say to each other, he is different than the world and he has something that I/we need. I want the people to see that I have filled that hole in my soul with the God of the universe and I want to share the good news on how to fill that hole with others.
Looking at the past year of my life, I see refinement. While on the world race, God has refined me to be more like Him. He has taught me much about His character and about how I should live. He has taught me that the prayers of a righteous man are powerful and effective. He has taught me about love, patience, kindness, and faithfulness. I have been refined into a godly man. I am not a boy anymore who does not know God. I am a man who is ready!
I am ready for what God has for me! The question is are you ready? Will you follow Jesus and lay your life down for Him? He has made a way for you to receive eternal life!!! That is soooo exciting but only if you are following Jesus. If you are not following Jesus then eternity is not going to be good for you. In fact, it will be your worst nightmare multiplied by eternity. We are in an emergency!!! Start living for Jesus and see how he changes your life.
God I pray that people are touched by this blog. I pray that you will send many lost souls to this blog and they will receive the free gift of salvation that you are offering them. I pray that you will not condemn them to hell. I pray that they will submit to your will and follow after you! I pray that you will raise up men and women to live there life in a way that is different than the world. I pray that people will not be satisfied with blending in the crowd anymore. Let us Christ followers stand out God. I beg you father for salvation for all of my friends and family. God please direct their paths and turn their hearts and souls to you. Thank you Lord for answering my prayers and turning people to you through this blog! I will praise you, O Mighty one, with all of my heart and soul. I will tell of all of your marvelous works!
