January cannot come soon enough. It is quite difficult to focus on daily tasks at work and home, knowing I will be half way around the world in just a few short months. As I go about my routine, I am constantly thinking about the World Race and all the great things I will experience on my journey. I also find myself trying to picture what this trip is really going to be like. With the amount of World Race blog reading I do, I should have a good idea of what I will encounter along the way, but in all honesty, I don’t.
The one thing I do know is that God has a unique experience in store for me. Yes, I will do and see some of the same things as my teammates, but I expect to learn and be moved in a very personal way. Even before I was officially accepted to the race, I began developing a mental list of my expectations for this trip. I think it’s about time I put all my thoughts in writing.
So, here are my expectations for the World Race.
I expect…
to be challenged in every way possible: physically, emotionally, and spiritually
to see my heart break for our lost and dying world
to hear stories of pain and suffering
to feel uncomfortable and out of place
to have my faith tested in unimaginable ways
to miss the conveniences of home
to be tired and worn out
By now you have probably labeled me as the world’s biggest pessimist, but I don’t look at it like that. I believe that in order for me to be fully open and receptive to God’s leading, I must first recognize that I have not been called to a life of comfort and relaxation, but instead a life surrendered to Christ. If I want to be consistently used by God I will have to die to my flesh every day. With that being said, here are a few other expectations that I have.
I expect…
to be strengthened by the Holy Spirit as I face challenges
to see God’s love bring hope to the hopeless
to hear stories of God’s grace and peace
to feel right at home with my brothers and sisters in Christ
to have a great increase in faith and reliance upon God
to find joy in the simplicities of life
to be awakened and ignited with a burning passion for the unsaved
I expect God to show up in miraculous ways for the sole purpose of bringing glory to His name!
