Last August I got accepted to the World Race officially and chose my route.
My grandparents were in town and my parents wanted to go out to dinner with them. Cool cool, well I just got off work and was hoping that they would pick a place somewhat close. Nah they chose the restaurant 50 miles away from our house.
This restaurant was right next to Scheel’s, so I was like, “Well this is actually great because I want to go look at backpacks. I drove my own car so I won’t have to hold up the family.”
After dinner I took 2 of my brothers and headed over there. I spent like 30 minutes just browsing through backpacks, camping gear, and what not.
Then I developed a feeling in my gut telling me to go to REI.
It’s right up the street, on the way home. My brothers were cool with it so we went. I had never been to REI before and just recently learned about it.
I walk in, and go straight to the backpacks. I find the one I want and an employee walks over. Now usually I’m not the one to like help at a store too much but I had no idea what I was doing so I accepted. This guy fitted me for the pack which I had no idea was a thing, helped me put it on and said, “Now go lap around the store.”
“What?”
“Lap around the store, probably twice. You’ll want to make sure it fits well.”
And off I went testing out my pack in REI Draper. I come back to the section of the store and now there’s a lady there instead.
“__ just went off to break, but I’m here to help you.”
Now for some reason I just feel like I have to buy this pack tonight. I’m not even leaving for another year but my gut is telling me to get it.
“Alright well I want this one!”
“Have you backpacked before? What are you doing?”
“No, I haven’t. I’m going on an 11 month mission trip to 11 countries.”
Now I didn’t even bother calling it the World Race because I was certain she had no idea what it was.
“OH. My coworker was just talking about that trip! What is it called?”
“The World Race! That’s so cool.”
*on her intercom* “Kody, where you the one talking about the World Race?”
So she gives me my new pack and I continue to walk around the store and browse. My little brother is wearing my pack and I’m looking at headlamps, and I had forgotten that there’s an employee here who had done the Race before. I still had a feeling in my gut telling me to stay a little bit longer in the store.
Another employee walks up to us, “Hey, where one of you going on the World Race?”
“Oh that’s me!”
“I went a couple years ago, if you stick around for a little bit I’d love to talk to you.”
I’m kind of shocked. This is so cool. Of all the places I run into a former World Racer, Draper Utah.
We talk for about 20 minutes on pretty much anything I can think of. I didn’t come into this store prepared with World Race questions. So I ask him some questions and he gives me advice on fundraising, packing, and even which headlamp to buy. There goes my gut again telling me to ask for his blog, so I do, I ask for his blog and then we talk about moving to Utah and the places he’s been on his route.
I go home and he emailed me with more advice regarding training camp, the Race itself, His relationship with Jesus and what I can do to grow my relationship with Him. And so much more.
I didn’t need to buy a backpack just yet, but I guess that was the only way God saw fit.
Don’t ignore those gut feelings. God leads you to people at just the right time.
Thanks, Kody for all your help!
