We are in the second half of the race and I have some serious mixed feelings about the time that we have left! I am never one to struggle much with missing home but as we’ve come the the halfway point, I am struggling to imagine ANOTHER 5 full months of this but I also can’t imagine a life any different than the one that I am currently living. I love community, I love engaging in ministries that are passionate about serving the Lord wholeheartedly. I love the world race.
As we have walking into and too quickly walked out of month 5 and 6 of the race and now are quickly approaching month 7, I so frequently get asked the same question by friends, family, squad mates and even hosts.
What are your plans after the race?
Well, 6 months ago I had a plan. Let me tell you, it was a plan.
I was going to start applying to graduate schools as soon as we stepped off the field to get my masters (and was seriously considering a doctorate) in a variety of areas I was interested in. Clinical Psychology, Social Work, Higher Education, Non-profit Management etc. l really thought that coming on the race would just help me make up my mind on which direction of education I wanted to pursue.
That was MY plan. I thought it was a pretty good one.
Those were my plans, they weren’t His. I still don’t know where the Lord is calling me after the race but I know it looks nothing like what I thought it would.
Hosts have encouraged me to come and join them in their mission. Squadmates and leadership have approached me about opportunities with Adventures in Missions that I might be interested in and I’ve felt a pull toward countries that I never thought I would want to revisit.
So, to sort of answer that question:
I might go back to school one day and pursue a masters degree but the heart behind it might look different.
I might pursue a career in my field of Social Work but with a new heart beat for the communities I would serve.
And, I might pursue the life of a missionary with brand new eyes, open hands and a ready heart.
Wherever the Lord leads, I want to follow because His plans are much better than mine. I want my life to be worth the price He paid for it. I am excited and ready with wide open hands to receive whatever my Papa has to offer me.
‘For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.’ Jeremiah 29:11
