my home.
What would I consider my home?
This crossed my mind while on the phone with my dad the other day when we were talking about the amount of times we moved throughout my childhood. I lived in one said house for the longest time, and it just sold a few weeks ago. It’s so bittersweet to see it go; I wouldn’t trade all the memories made in that house for the world. We were a family in that house, and we made it into a true home, a place of belonging. I am so grateful for the next family that will get to make it into their own home now. It’s sad to let go of some things in life but also so exciting to see what the next chapter will bring as a result of that change.
And then I started thinking about my home this past year. It’s funny how in each country we are in, I refer to our current living quarters as my “home”. It’s no longer weird that some months my home looks like sleeping on my sleeping pad on the floor, in a barn loft, or in a large metal shed with paper thin walls. Sometimes it’s sleeping right next to your teammate on the floor with a big net covering you to protect you from the mosquitos and whatever other scary bugs are out there.
Whatever the month to month looks like, I choose to make it into my “home.” And I have had some pretty incredible homes over the year because I have chosen to make the best of each situation. The perspective you carry directly influences the experience you have. In the midst of really shitty living conditions, you may find one of the best homes. That’s actually happened multiple times on my Race because, let’s be honest, not many of the living conditions are ideal.
I know that my return home to Minnesota at the end of this journey will be wonderful. My living arrangement will be beyond comfortable. Almost too comfortable compared to what I’m accustomed to at this point. I’ll be laying in my nice fluffy cloud bed: my experiences sleeping on the hard floor just a distant memory. But I just might miss it. I might find myself fondly reminiscing on the days of being constantly uncomfortable and those conditions that I ended up calling home.
I’m caught up in a whirlwind of emotions as this season draws to a close but it’s a beautiful thing. Embracing the uncomfortable and transforming it into a home. And I get to bring that back to the land of comfortability. I’m not sure yet what that’ll look like but I have a feeling it’ll be beautiful in all the ways possible.
I want to encourage and challenge you to sit for a few minutes and just think about what stepping out of your comfort zone looks like. Pray to God and ask Him to reveal what’s holding you back.
Is it talking to your friend about an issue that needs resolving?
Or a job you want to pursue but you just don’t quite want to risk it?
Or how about that hard conversation you need to have with a family member?
What’s holding you back from taking the leap?
Whatever your “leap of faith” looks like, I want to challenge you to go for it. I can promise you, good things will come of it. God will bless you for jumping into the uncomfortable and trusting in Him. And if it doesn’t work out, you’ve only become a stronger person because of it.
Take the leap. I dare ya.
— a comfortably uncomfortable human
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