The World Race: is this even real life right now? How in the world did I end up here? To be honest, I am still taking this in. I cannot believe that I actually get to be a part of such an incredible thing! Just a couple months ago, I would never have believed where my walk with the Lord would have taken me.
Let me back up a moment.
In August of 2017, I joined a life group at the church I had just started attending. This was a big step for me. I had never been a part of a life group before, and I did not know what to expect. I am an extroverted person, but at this point in my life, I lacked any confidence in myself and was incredibly shy. Can you imagine the torment? Wanting to be around people and connect with them but afraid to put yourself out there? Yeah… it was kind of terrible. But I am SO GLAD that God led me to these people, because without them, I never would have ended up where I am now! EVERY PERSON in that group was instrumental in my growth. They showed me just how loved we are by God. Isn’t it funny how God brings the right people into our lives when we need them most?
In one of the first months of our life group, we began telling our testimonies and spiritual journeys. One girl in my life group actually went on the World Race a few years ago. I remember thinking, “Wow. That’s cool, but that’s not for me. I am too busy for that.” But wow, God had different plans.
It’s so funny how you can think you know what you are doing with your life and where you are going, and then God just comes around and mess it all up. I had just bought my first house! Work was going great and I was feeling comfortable and confident! Wow… I was so responsible and mature, right?
I feel like if God behaved like we do, this would be the part where He would look into the camera like they do on The Office.
In January of this year, my life group sent a podcast series into our GroupMe entitled “Receive the Holy Spirit” from Bridgetown Church in Portland, Oregon. Wow! Interesting! I went to a Pentecostal church before, and now a group of SOUTHERN BAPTISTS are talking about the Holy Spirit? And not just that. We are talking about listening prayer and hearing God’s voice. Wow. Something’s different here. As one of my life group leaders put it, I was put in a “faith furnace.” The things I learned impacted me so much, I may never be the same again.
So, fired up with a newfound passion for God’s voice, I began to grow in my understanding of God’s heart through listening prayer. I also grew in power and relationship with the Holy Spirit. After all, He is a PERSON and not just a power! How could I have objectified GOD up to this point in my life?
Eventually, I started talking to that same girl from my life group about her experiences with listening prayer and (drumroll, please) the World Race!
***Ah! Finally getting to the point, eh Andrew?***
Her experiences were truly incredible. It made me really restless and uneasy. Uh, oh… I wanted that, too! And it didn’t stop there! Within a week, I had talked to three OTHER people about the World Race! I had barely heard about it before this year, and now I can’t stop hearing about it! What’s going on?
So I went out on a limb and applied. I had never been on a mission trip before, so this was not simply a leap of faith. It was a straight up swan dive off the top of the Empire State.
Now let me state the obvious: I am not a perfect person. I am uncomfortably honest and admit my struggles, so when I was getting interviewed by the World Race staff members, I told them my whole story… and I mean THE WHOLE story. I spent a whole hour telling them about things that you don’t normally tell people you just met (and on the phone, at that)! But you know what the crazy part is? I actually got ACCEPTED!
I am so excited to go on this adventure with the Creator. He created such a beautiful world, and I am constantly blown away by the things I ALREADY see in the world. The people, the sunsets, literally everything we come in contact with… I can’t wait to see what He will show me next. I can almost hear God saying, “Oh, Andrew! You are totally going to LOVE this next thing I’m going to show you! When I made this, I knew EXACTLY how you would react to it! This is going to BLOW YOU AWAY!” Even more than that, I am beyond thrilled to get to worship with God’s children on the opposite side of the world. The language of worship is truly universal! How awesome is it that you can barely have a conversation with someone one moment and then harmonize with them as if were both MADE to sing with each other the next moment?
But here is the fundamental root of it all:
I have always felt the call to work with people and minister to them. That’s part of the reason I became a nurse. Even in the worst of circumstances, I believe God’s desire is to grant people healing through the hands of believers, whether that is physical, emotional, or spiritual. Most recently, I have felt the weight of the knowledge that my life is not simply my own. I belong to the Redeemer who calls me to live a life of abandonment to self, carrying my cross daily. I believe God desires to take His message to all people from every corner of the globe. Outside of our borders, I sense that the harvest is indeed bountiful, and I feel the call to go out into the harvest.
I can’t wait to get uncomfortable and out of my comfort zone. What will God do in my life and the lives of those around me? How will God use me, and what will the Holy Spirit lead me to do? Lord, speak! Your servant is listening!
As always, be blessed!
AG
