Hello everyone,
I have now passed the halfway mark on my race. Isn’t that crazy? In some ways the race has felt like it will never end, and in others it is going too fast to even process. I’ve had terrible days on the race where I felt like everything was going wrong and I wanted nothing more than to go home, and I’ve had amazing days where I wouldn’t trade what I’m doing or the things I’m experiencing for anything.
If I had never been on the race I wouldn’t know:
How a smile, hug, or laugh can cross any language barrier.
How crazy it can be to live in a room with 7 other girls.
How to make tortillas.
How to make churros.
That you can eats beans and rice everyday and still crave beans and rice.
How you can barely speak Spanish but still be the designated translator.
How much I can love kids who I’ve never understood anything they’ve said to me.
How condensed milk is great on popcorn.
How the LORD truly calls and knows my name.
How grateful I am for my family and how I was raised.
That Costa Rica has worms in their rice.
I now know someone who has been ran over.
How not knowing Spanish can make the ride with your Uber driver really awkward.
That even if you sweep 4 times a day the concrete floors will still be dusty.
That surfing is really difficult.
That you can fit way more than 5 people in any five person vehicle.
That I need to rely fully on the Lord for all things.
That it as not as difficult as you would think to steal someone’s dog.
That snow can feel so much like home that you cry.
How unearthly quiet German people are.
That exploring Germany with a 25lbs backpack when you haven’t slept in 3 days is not the best choice.
That bus stop bathrooms in Johannesburg, SA are super sketchy.
That 18 hour bus rides are not near as bad as you would think.
That if you don’t label your peanut butter it will all be eaten.
That suckers are very underrated.
That even though I wish I was I am definitely not a beach girl I’m a mountain/lake girl.
That you can live with people for 5 months but still not know everything about them.
That the monkey dance is completely exhausting and definitely counts as workout for the day.
That you can love and care for kids you get to pour into for less than 24 hours.
What chutney is and that my team will put it on anything.
That a 12 year old telling you that you’re the best and that you’re awesome makes you believe it more than you ever have before.
That a 2 (almost 3) year old across the globe can steal your heart and at the same time can make you miss your own nieces so much.
That men in South Africa wear shorter shorts than the women.
That rugby is both extremely entertaining and dangerous.
That you can meet someone who is from Oklahoma and knows about Shepherd’s fold all the way in Jeffrey’s Bay, South Africa.
That a coffee shop and the people in it can make you feel at home.
That sometimes the race feels like: ministry-coffee shop-eat-sleep-repeat.
That generosity can be really hard sometimes.
That sleeping with earplugs in can become the norm.
That if you haven’t worked out regularly in 5 months that running is definitely a challenge.
That I don’t drink near enough water.
That anything over 5 dollars is expensive.
That you can actually find cute clothes in thrift shops.
That I take for granted my clothes at home.
That worship when you’re in the Valley is so much more meaningful.
That it feels like God puts stuff in the Bible just for me sometimes.
That even if I read a scripture and teach on it 18 times I can still learn something new from it every time.
That I have so much to say until I go to type it out.
That there is power in reading God’s word aloud to yourself or to others.
That I need to walk in the grace the Lord has given me.
That I’m actually a pretty good cook.
How to make homemade biscuits.
That gravy without breakfast sausage in it is definitely subpar.
How much I miss real cheeseburgers.
That I can actually enjoy coffee.
That anything within two miles is a ‘short walk’.
That days are long and weeks are short.
To cherish and capture every moment even if I don’t have a camera.
To give my love freely.
That was over 50 things that being on the race has taught me so far. This list barely scratches the surface of things I’ve learned but it’s a good overview. One of the main things that I’ve learned on my race is life is all about the attitude that you have. You have to choose to enjoy the people in your life even if it’s hard for you to get along. Choose to enjoy where you are. Choose to find joy in what you’re doing even if it’s hard or not what you want to do. Choose to have the attitude of joy in all things because you’ll never get those seconds, minutes, hours, days, or weeks back. Choose to live every moment with an attitude of joy and try to capture and cherish every moment because you’ll never live the same moment again.
I love you all, thank you for reading my blog. I hope it has blessed your day even if it’s only for a moment.
May the Lord show you his joy today.
Sincerely,
Molly McCrary.
