Hi there!
I recently made the biggest decision that I have ever been faced with in my life: gap year with the World Race or college right after high school.
Just a brief little insight of my academic life:
I have always been a really motivated student. Starting in middle school, I took honors classes and loved the challenge of learning. When high school rolled around, I delved into the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme (similar to the AP program, but I take 7 classes at a time that are just slightly more rigorous). This program will, hopefully, yield lots of college credits for me. I suppose I’m just academically inclined… sometimes!
Over this past summer, I spent time at a church camp that I have been involved with for more than ten years, and Christ really spoke to me. I was listening to a presentation by Father to the Fatherless, and I was moved on a very deep level. Mathius sang in his native tongue, spoke of his life as an orphan on the streets of Kenya, and praised the Lord for his struggles. I broke down in tears when I realized that missionaries were able to help Mathius gain the ability to praise God for putting him through the terrors of being an orphan. I remember being completely astonished that Mathius was reached by missionaries, and that his faith not only was planted by missionaries, but blossomed after the missionaries left.
Prior to this camp, I had been feeling pulled to ministry, but ignored the calling because it did NOT line up with my plan for my life. Thankfully, I was quick to realized (after some persuasion) that it was not my life, it was HIS life and HIS plan that I needed to honor and obey. Now that was a great realization, but it did not settle my fears. I still wasn’t sure about the World Race because college was still very much so my focus. I wanted so much to go to college and get to my career as quickly as possible. Then the questions started:
What if I don’t go and I regret it forever?
What if I do go and I lose all of my scholarships?
What if I’m not actually called to be a missionary?
What if I come back completely different?
What if I sit in a classroom and wish I was out in the world?
What if… What if… What if…
These horrible what ifs continued for two weeks of mental torment. I had two HUGE reasons that I knew this was my calling.
- 1. I hate the track that academically inclined people are seemingly locked into. Graduate high school as top of class, get into the college of choice, obtain plenty of scholarships, go to graduate school, get married, have kids, and live and ordinary life. But who wants to be ordinary?
- 2. There was absolutely no way that I would ever regret going on this mission trip. I would never be sitting at home, in a classroom, or reflecting on my life saying “Man, I wish I wouldn’t have taken that year for Christ and gone to college immediately after high school instead.” But I knew that I would kick myself for the rest of my life if I said no to this mission… and to God.
It was simple from there. Why not?
Money, it all works out in the end.
College, it will still be there and the same when I’m back.
Coming back different, maybe different is the best thing to be.
And it was decided, WORLD RACE HERE I COME!
“He who finds his life will lose it, and he who loses his life for My sake will find it” Matthew 10:39
“Whatever I tell you in the dark, speak in the light; and what you hear in the ear, preach on the housetops.” Matthew 10:27
