Sabbath.
Sabbath is taking time to create a space to find true rest in the Lord and build intimacy with Him. This is the kind of rest where you get to sit with the Lord and talk about all of the amazing things you’ve done/created in life and within the last 6 days. It’s a space to regather yourself on who you are (A child of God) and what you’re doing, where you’re operating from (a place of love). It allows us to renew our minds back to focus through praising the Lord and realize that we are not tied down by the world.
Sabbath is a place for us to grow our relationship with the Lord and help us to hear His voice. It allows you to recharge through things that are restful and that remind you of the Lord.
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Sabbath before the race was something I grew up knowing but not understanding. I didn’t understand that sabbath is not about not doing anything and just laying around. It’s not about napping the whole day away, or mindlessly watching a bunch of tv shows on the couch. So I never really engaged in sabbath before the race.
During the race, you learn about the importance of sabbath and are encouraged to practice it. There’s a whole day in the schedule dedicated to you taking sabbath so you can build a mindset for this in your life after the race while in a healthy environment.
But let’s be honest. Taking sabbath is hard on the race. Schedules are constantly changing. Living environments are different each month (sometimes more than that). You’re around various people and everyone is different. Cultural differences as well as individual differences on top of everything I mentioned before comes together to make it hard to take the time to find rest in the Lord through things that give you joy.
During our time in India we were fully immersed into the Indian culture. Unlike American culture, alone time isn’t really a thing. Closed doors are for changing and at night when you lock up the house. Locks are things that are rarely used. Personal space is not so personal. When you see the beauty of Indian culture’s value on community and quality time with one another you understand and respect that these differences are from love. But being an American, we like our alone time to recharge and process the week.
We lived in a home with 5 preteen girls between the ages of 8 and 14. Our host parents took them in to care for them after their home circumstances became difficult to properly care for them. These girls were energetic, loud, and always in our space. THESE GIRLS WERE A TRUE BLESSING FROM THE LORD. I found rest in these beautiful daughters of Christ, as crazy as that sounds. After long days of preaching and traveling all I wanted to do was spend time with them. They would greet us after a long day regardless of whether they had school or not, “Sister! Sister! Miss you!” They wanted to teach us their language. They were loud, five girls talking at the same time in your face can be overwhelming but I loved it. Their laughter was constant, always cracking jokes or laughing at our mispronounced words. They were curious and intelligent, so helpful and caring. Being with these girls gave me so much life.
The Lord was revealing His heart and His character through these girls. He was also showing me the heart that He has given me for them. Throughout the World Race we have encountered many kids and I have loved every one of them, but not necessarily equally. God has been showing me that He has given me a special spot, that’s quite large, in my heart for orphans, fosters, and kids from broken/damaged homes. I’m not sure what this means for my future, but I know that whatever God has planned it’s going to involve loving His children and I can’t wait to see what that looks like.
