When I first started telling people about the World Race, a response that I got a few times was a sarcastic “tough life,” or something along those lines. Sure, the brief description does sound a bit glamorous: traveling to eleven countries in eleven months, sharing the love of Jesus and living in community with other believers. I know I even had some romanticized views of how I thought the year would go. But I can say now, being only in month two, that this is not just a worldwide camping trip or an extended vacation. This is life. Yes, it may look different than your life, or the life I lived two months ago, but it still has many of the same characteristics. I have good days and bad days. I have responsibilities and things I must attend to. I have to do hard things, things that take me out of my comfort zone and things I may really have no desire to do. Living in community is hard. Vulnerability is hard. Unending cultural differences are frustrating. On top of all those things, you can’t just run to your normal habits or forms of comfort. No wifi, no couches or chairs (at least for this month), no readily available ice cream or dark chocolate (oh the depravity!), and barely the chance to ever spend some time all to yourself. Just add some dirt all over your body and clothes all the time, a never ending supply of sweat running down your back and face, mammoth amounts of bug bites, and you have a pretty good picture of what life is like! These are not the characteristics of a vacation. However, these things are my current reality.
Of course there are all the other sides of it as well — loving on little ones, encouraging other believers, prayer walks in the community, strange foods, trips to the Indian Ocean, and the chance for each and every day to be an adventure. The point of this is to realize that this is not glamorous, nor is it supposed to be. It’s real life and it’s my current life, learning to live and make the choice to serve Jesus, press into Him and trust Him through anything and everything that is thrown my way. It’s just doing it in such a foreign and, at times, uncomfortable atmosphere that I really have no other choice than to turn to Him. He has been the one thing that has stayed constant since I left home, and each day, I get to choose to trust Him and cling to Him even in that which is uncomfortable.
“Blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD, whose trust is the LORD. He is like a tree planted by water, that sends out its roots by the stream, and does not fear when heat comes, for its leaves remain green, and is not anxious in the year of drought, for it does not cease to bear fruit.” Jeremiah 17:7-8
Just a note — I am in a fairly remote location this month in Swaziland, so wifi is extremely limited. Know that I am safe and sound, but there is a slim chance that I will have the opportunity to answer any messages or emails. Thank you for your prayers and the virtual notes and messages of encouragement that I have received so for. They have meant so much and have been such a blessing.
