The road that led me to Portland this past weekend was definitely not a short one. It began May 21, 2016 and I had no idea what I was doing signing up for The World Race, but now it all makes sense. The tears. The truths. The hurt. The joy. This past weekend happened because of the joining of two, but also the joining of community.
You see I defined myself as an introvert. I defined myself as someone that wanted space to myself and myself only. Going on the race didn’t really change that in the midst of it all; it was coming home from the race to not having any community that changed that.
I witnessed myself going from someone bubbling with joy to someone just getting by. I was accepting the apathy within myself and exhausted as soon as my feet hit the ground in the mornings. The only person pushing me forward was myself.
This past weekend I knew I was different than who I was over a year ago when I saw those faces for the first time in seven months of those who changed me. I felt radiating joy when piling into a car filled with people who didn’t mind the feeling of being uncomfortable, but simply wanted to be together with one another. I felt tears of joy building up in my eyes as arms embraced my sisters in Christ for the first time in a long time. I felt the Holy Spirit heavy within my soul for the first time since being home telling me that I wasn’t supposed to do this life alone, but that I am to do this life standing alongside those whom the Lord has placed amongst my path.
Do life and do it to the fullest. Live a life that is worthy of daydreaming about what you have done, not what is to be done. See as much of the world as you can in the short amount of time we are here on this earth. Do all these things, but never do them alone.
It doesn’t take a year of being with a group of people to have community, even though it does push you all into deeper relationships with one another quicker. It can take a matter of seconds to build relationships with people, you just have to be willing to say that “hello” or reach out that helping hand. I promise when you acquaint yourself with the community that has been placed around you, you will notice the difference. I physically can even see a difference in my smile when I’m around those who are doing this thing called life alongside me. You experience a joy which can’t be explained.
