The one fact that I have realized about change is that it is constantly occuring. Whether its a change in season, location, or heart, life never stops changing. Change never stops, that is the only thing about it that stays the same.
If you ask any friends or family members they would tell you that I hate change.
If I got it my way, every holiday would look the exact same from the first time i can remember it.
If i find a food that I like at a resturaunt, rarely do i ever order anything else.
On the other hand though, I love adventure.
Roller coasters, sky high cliffs and new places fascinate me.
These two characteristics: adventure and change, don't always seem to correlate.
I think my dislike of change lies somewhere inbetween, i don't like change when I get comfortable or familliar with something. When I do something new, i expect change and so I welcome and am excited by it. But when it comes to the family Christmas, I want to make the same cookies for santa and eat the same tenderloin meal as we have since I was a kid ,because that is what I am used to, that is what I am comfortable with.
This past week I recieved an email asking me to pray about switching from September Route 2 to September Route 4. I was at summer camp, and managed to use that as an excuse as to why I didn't start really praying about this decision until the day before I had to make it.
I decided that I would go on September Route 2 in November and by this point when somebody asks me what coutries I am going to, I can rattle them off without a second thought. Month 8 was Haiti, the country that I went to for my first mission trip and the experience that led me to considering the World Race. Month 11 was Ireland, bar to bar evanglism wasn't exactly something I felt comfortable with but my family is Irish and I have always been dying to go. So even though the World Race is going to be a crazy adventure, I was pretty comfortable with my route and I had accepted the places I was traveling to.
The minute that I was reading over the September Route 4 page, my stomach begin to churn. I hadn't even begun praying about it to know in the back of my head that I was going to end up changing. 9 out of the 11 countries are different, no more Europe or Haiti. I spent the longer part of my 13 hour drive on Sunday catching up with friends, enjoying worship music, and thinking about how I really needed to pray about this decision. The key word is thinking about what I needed to do, not actually doing it.
When I couldn't avoid it any longer I started to talk to Jesus about what He wanted me to do, the feeling of excitement and passion in my stomach was enough for me to know almost instantly. No more Haiti, No more Ireland and No turning back. Any little bit of comfort or familiarity that I had was taken away, but replaced with an excitement and passion that I haven't felt in way too long. No turning back came on my ipod from the passion cd, it was no coincidence that song was next and I am ready to make it my anthem.
" This is my heart cry, though none go with me
The cross before me, The world behind me
I will follow you, I will follow you
No turning back, No turning back
No turning back, No turning back."
No turning back to the things of this world that will never satisfy. No turning back to getting comfortable with my relationship with the Lord. No turning back when it comes to picking up my cross daily.
I am now a member of September Route 4, and I couldn't be more excited about what the Lord is going to do with an all new team and all new countries. I long to come away with an all new heart for Him.
