I’m in Chiang Mai, Thailand, and it’s much more amazing than I ever could’ve anticipated. I can hear horns honking and all of the other sounds that accompany the night bazaar from my bed as I type this. It’s midnight and I just quickly have some thoughts I need to get out.
I just looked through my Instagram, trying to imagine what my life may look like to someone back at home. Nothing that I have posted is a misrepresentation of my life. To be honest, my race has been beyond adventurous, beautiful, and exciting. I haven’t had many hard days, I don’t get home sick, and I wake up every day energetic and eager.
But I just posted a picture of me eating fish on a stick and people commented things like, “You’re doing amazing!” and “Keep doing that Kingdom work!” Would they say that if I posted the same picture in Texas?
I remember when I was preparing for the World Race my senior year. I was itching to leave the country. I felt stuck in my high school, with my friends, doing the same thing every day. I would stay up and read the blogs of racers on the field and glamorize their experiences, just waiting until I was “out there” in the “real world,” “doing things.”
I felt burdened by my routine, my friends, my obligations, and my culture.
So, in September I left all of those things behind.
When I got to Costa Rica, my spiritual expectations were not met. I struggled with the same sense of complacency, even boredom. For a short time, I blamed it on my team, my ministry, or my squad. Over time, though, Jesus, in all of His tender grace and kindness, revealed to me the difficult reality that what was holding me back from living a wild adventure was not my circumstances, but a lack of genuine intimacy with Him.
It is month 6/9 of the World Race, and I am so grateful for everything that I have gotten to see and do on this journey. But it would be absolutely nothing without Jesus by my side.
The other day, I met some 19-year-old backpackers from London at the night market, a girl and a guy that had been traveling Asia together for 5 months on a gap year. Probably to “find themselves” or something— I don’t know. As I asked them questions, it shocked my naive, small-town self to see how much freedom they had. They were traveling with no parents, no rules, and lots of money. The dream, right? In amazement, I asked, “So, what do y’all do?” And they just kinda looked at me. “Uhh, we eat, we club… Oh! We looked at elephants today.” Basically they travel, they meet cool people, and see cool things. And you know what? I bet they have excellent Instagram feeds that lots of people envy.
But they don’t do anything.
What I am trying to say is this: the only thing that truly makes live meaningful, exciting, and adventurous is a relationship with Jesus Christ. I am speaking from experience. He is the only One who fulfills the deep desire in our souls for an extraordinary existence, a purpose, and a wild adventure. You can achieve all of your dreams, go everywhere in the world, have a magnificent social media presence, and still be completely empty.
Do not buy into the lie that our culture perpetuates though social media. Do not become paralyzed by F.O.M.O. Do not wait until you have what someone else has to start your adventure. Jesus Christ is the One who brings life to all experiences, circumstances, and relationships. And Jesus Christ is accessible to all, at any time, in any place.
In the words of David,
Whom have I in heaven but you? And there is nothing on earth that I desire besides you. My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.
Or, in the words of Alecia Keys,
Some people want it all, but I don’t want nothin’ at all if it ain’t you baby, if I ain’t got you baby.
Go after your dreams and travel often. But seek God in all of it, or else the experiences are just empty.
I can tell you that my best moments on the Race haven’t been the ones that were fit for social media. They were the ones in which I received a touch from the Holy Spirit. That’s honestly why I don’t blog all that much about what I am doing, or where I am, or post many pictures of my life at all. Because I really just want to talk about Jesus and what He is doing. He is alive overseas and at home.
Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of hosts; the whole earth is full of His glory!
If you want fulfillment, if you feel like you’re missing out on something, look for God’s glory today and press into intimacy with Jesus Christ. He is ready to take you on an adventure that will challenge you, stretch you, and sometimes exhaust you. The lows will be low, but the highs will take you higher than you ever thought you could be. “He is not safe, but He is good.”
—–
I start my ministry on Monday! For the next two weeks, my team is doing manual labor at a Christian University nearby. Lots of painting and such.
The most difficult thing about ministry in Thailand is the fact that most people don’t speak English, and the entire culture revolves around Buddhism. It’s not like America, Africa, or Costa Rica, where I can walk up to any random stranger and ask to pray over them or share a word with them. Here, it’s more about discipleship than evangelism, which is difficult, considering the language barrier. Besides, what we are doing here is not well-received by the culture or the government. If anyone asks, I am a tourist—not a volunteer, and especially not a missionary.
It’s different. But God has been moving here far before my squad was here, so I am trusting that His work will be done however He wants to do it. I will be painting walls, serving it whatever capacity possible, and seeking Jesus in it.
Prayer Requests:
- That Jesus would make Thai disciples that can make more Thai disciples
- That my squad would desire nothing but Him
- That our ears and eyes would be open to how He wants to use us here
So much love. Wherever you are, keep doing that Kingdom work! God wants to use you exactly where you are!
Aves
