When I first applied and was accepted to the World Race, I couldn’t wait for a year to fly by and my journey to begin. Little did I know just HOW MUCH the Lord was gonna change me, even before I stepped foot on a plane.
I started my fundraising process by writing a letter that I would eventually hand out to all my relatives, friends, acquaintances, and a few strangers. Even then, at the very beginning of my year of WR preparation, God began to do BIG works in my life. God spoke to me through many of my supporters, but the most memorable one was a man (whom I’d never met before) telling me exactly what God would be doing in the next two years of my life.
I walked into his office feeling awkward and timid and totally uncomfortable, but I walked out knowing the Lord would begin working in my life in two ways: selflessness and humility. I sat down with this man (I’ll call him Mr. D for sake of the story) and began giving my little speech of what I planned on doing next year, where I’ll be going, how I need prayer, and how I need financial help. He responded with patience and love and promised to pray over it. Mr. D then continued on to tell me a story:
“God will fill up His people’s fruit baskets so it overflows. You can either be selfish and gluttonous, or you can put the overflow into the baskets of those who have no fruit. When you give the fruit God gave you, they can know His love too and share their abundance with others.”
This story astounded me, not because it was a foreign concept or something totally off the chart, but God knew it was the exact message I needed to hear at the moment. I live in comfort and have Christ’s love given to me freely at all times, but I realized that I do not often give freely that same selfless love given to me. This was the beginning of my lesson in selflessness.
I remember feeling incredibly uncomfortable in my early fundraising as I would indirectly ask people for financial help. The idea of asking for help has always bothered me because I don’t like to seem incapable. I knew in my heart when Mr. D told me his story that I had an empty basket that needed filling, and there was no way I could put $14,951 in that basket by myself. This was the beginning in my lesson of humility.
The only way I could share the abundance of Christ’s love in me on the Race would be if that financial basket was full. I was humbled knowing that I couldn’t raise the money alone and that I would have to rely on other’s love, kindness, and generosity to get me to my goal. On a bigger level, it’s humbling to know that I couldn’t have/do any of this without God’s love, kindness, and mercy. Every person who gives me support gives me a small glimpse of God’s faithfulness and provision, despite how unworthy I am. Every donation, encouraging word, or act of service given to me in my fundraising process is a reminder of God’s intense, undeserved love.
I am now fully funded, and training camp is only a few days away, yet God has already done so much work in me through this. All I can do is praise Him, because any good that comes out of me is 100% from God. He has blown me away by the love and provision He’s poured into others, which they have in turn been led to pour into me. I can’t praise Him enough and thank those who have supported me through this.
WOO I’M FULLY FUNDED!!!
