I just wanted to say a quick hello STATESIDE!!!
Yep, that’s right. As most of you know, I am back home in the sweet ol’ US of A.
About three weeks ago, only a day after I posted my previous blog about the parent-vision trip being cancelled due to COVID-19, our organization, Adventures in Missions, announced that all Racers, all 500+ of us, would be sent home immediately.
Immediately.
Within two days after that announcement, I was in New York City. In America. What?
To say I was in shock (or still am in shock) would be an understatement.
I was in denial. Pissed. On the verge of an emotional breakdown at any moment. Hurt. Upset. All the things.
Now, three weeks later, I’m typing this blog from my bedroom at home, and to be honest, I feel as though I’ve been here forever. Time is wild. It’s amazing how quickly our bodies and minds can adapt to change. Even if it is as abrupt as I experienced the end of my time on the Race.
So, I want to let you all know that I’m okay.
I made it home, safe and sound, and I’m working on processing the Race, grieving, and healing from the great loss I just experienced.
And now, I have some encouragement for you all.
When I returned home, I was told I had a new room: my sister’s old room. Long story short, I now live on the first floor of my house, and it’s kind of great. It’s decorated beautifully, and it’s become my little safe space here during this quarantine.
However, because it was my sister’s old room, some of her clothes were still in here when I moved in. So, I decided to do the hard work for her and take them out from under my bed and set them out for her to sort through.
Boy, I had no idea what a project that would be.
How many clothes could you possibly stuff under a bed? Would you guess a pile this big? (Sorry not sorry, Ava, for exposing you)
My mind was blown at the sight of all this. How was this all underneath my bed for a week without me knowing it? When I started cleaning it out, I had no idea there would be this much. Although some of the things I knew Ava would want to keep, most of it has been under there for years, and I know she’ll end up getting rid of most of them. Some spring cleaning she needed to do!!!
As I was walking back and forth around the house, bringing pile after pile of clothes to a place where my sister could sort through all the stuff, the Lord gave me a spiritual metaphor.
Although COVID-19 sucks for many reasons, there is definitely good that will come out of it on the other side. And there is definitely good right in the middle of it also. What’s holding you back from cleaning out the junk under your bed? What’s keeping you from doing some spring cleaning of your heart? I mean you’ve got all the time in the world now while you’re stuck in your house for who knows how long. I think the Lord is using this time to do a reset on some of our souls, so that when we can finally step outside into the real world again, we’ll be stronger, bolder, more confident, and able to love more deeply than we did before.
I’m sure there’s parts of your heart that you’ve hidden from the Lord for perhaps years now. Things that you’ve always pushed off dealing with because you didn’t have time or because it was too painful to bring them out of the shadows.
Well, I want to let you know, that God already sees all of those hidden things. He saw them before you even tried to hide them.
“He reveals the deep and hidden things; he knows what is in the darkness, and light dwells with him”
Daniel 2:22
He already knows.
He’s just waiting for you to bring those things to Him so He can heal you. So He can bring you the freedom you’ve been hoping for. It’s all in arms-reach. All it requires of you is bringing it out from under the bed. Out of the dark, and into the light. Let Him do the rest.
What better time to do some spring cleaning?
With love,
Allison
