When we were at launch, preparing for the journey ahead in Georgia, I received a key necklace.
My mama had bought me the necklace without me knowing and our squad leader Deborah handed them out. Each key had a word that was prayed over us before we received them. When Deb handed me the little pouch, I opened it up, took out my key, and saw the word, “dream.” I didn’t think much of it because I had no idea how it would apply to my life. Most of the other girls were getting words like happiness or joy so I wasn’t sure how the word “dream” could mean something deeper for me.
This word has more significance in my life than I could ever imagine.
In these past three months of being on the race, I’ve experienced and fulfilled more dreams of mine than I could count. I’ve traveled across the world, I’ve gotten the chance to share the love of Jesus to so many, I’ve hung out with monkeys, puppies, cats, bunnies, hiked mountains, played volleyball in a lightning storm, prayed over temples, swam on an island with bioluminescent plankton while stargazing, fell asleep in a hut to the sound of waves crashing on the shore, held a Chocolate Chip Sea Star, planned a trash and plastic clean up on my own for our school, also got to create necklaces and bracelets out of that trash, got to fulfill the dream of spreading the message of plastic pollution to people in Cambodia to make a change for our environment, I’ve taught English to teachers and children, ridden a bamboo train, planned a camp for our teachers and families at our school to bond and share Jesus with them, visited Angkor Watt (I’m also about to run a half marathon in front of Angkor Watt on December 2nd), road on many tuktuks, did back flips off of a sketchy hut, and so much more. God is working in my life, changing me, opening my eyes, showing me His heart, my passions, and what He wants for my life.
God really showed me this when I got the chance to fulfill one of my biggest dreams of lighting a lantern and watch it float into the night’s sky. Everyone knows Tangled is my favorite movie, and that I’m a Disney nerd. But this moment. It was life changing. It opened my eyes to who God truly is.
Before I experienced the lanterns, before I left for the world race, I had a limited view of the world. Similar to Rapunzel before she leaves her tower and experiences the lanterns. She could sense that there was something so much more out there for her. Before the race, I had a feeling that there was so much more to life, that there was so much more this world has to offer. When Rapunzel finally gets the guts to pursue her dream, to leave her tower, she experiences more than she could ever imagine. She becomes a completely new person who learns to get out of her comfort zone, love others, adventure, and to follow her heart. When Rapunzel is sitting there in the boat she is so afraid that her dream won’t be all that she’d hoped, or that it will and she won’t know what to do next. For me, I began to doubt that there wasn’t much for me here, that I wasn’t doing enough to pursue my dream and that I wouldn’t be able to make it all that I wanted it to be. God showed me otherwise. He began to make more dreams come true than I could have ever dreamed.
The night before we left to find the lanterns we heard loud sounds that shook the house and almost sounded like gun shots. We waited for a while and realized it was just really violent fireworks. So a few of us went outside to observe and I began to see small floating lights in the sky and my heart dropped. “Could it be lanterns?” I said to myself. The other girls started to say, “those are lanterns Madi!” I was so excited I almost screamed. Could one of my biggest dreams come true?
The following night we walked (I was basically running) with the teachers and the family from the school towards the river where the lanterns and fireworks came from. As soon as we got to the area we saw people lighting lanterns but we could not find anyone that was selling them. So Chhy and I ran all over the place asking Khmer people where the lanterns were while the rest followed. After about 15 minutes of trying to find them, I saw a glimpse of folded lanterns and Chhy yelled, “teacha they over here!” I ran to her and immediately grabbed a lantern, gave them 10,000 riel (which is 2.50 in dollars) and ran to a place to light it. As my teammates began to take videos and photos of me following one of my biggest dreams, I couldn’t help but allow my emotions overcome me. Kaylen began to play “I See the Light,” from Tangled as I lifted the lantern into the night sky. Tears streamed down my face as I was so overcome with joy and happiness. God truly spoke to me in that moment, that He is the light of life. He is the reason why I get to follow my dreams.
After this moment, I remembered the scene of when Eugene and Rapunzel told each other that they are their new dream. It made me realize that my purpose and my one true dream is Jesus. To follow Him, for Him to guide my life, and to truly let Him be the light of my life. That moment answered the question of why I received that key at launch. That my dream has and always will be Jesus.
