Standing in the middle of traffic doesn’t faze me.
Unidentifiable food doesn’t worry me.
Sleeping in any location in any degree of heat has become the norm.
Crying babies and mothers breastfeeding in the street don’t catch my attention.
People are asking how I’ve changed during my time on the race. I’ve changed a lot. Like a lot, it’s true. My life style, emotional reactions, level of comfort, and susceptibility to irritations has greatly changed. I’ve learned to curb my American food cravings as well. Sometimes there’s no cure but to just not think about it. Yes, ignorance can healthily be bliss.
Ok, so maybe a few serious spiritual changes have happened in me too. I’ve realized the power in praying out loud because our spoken words cause changes in the spiritual world. I’m recognizing my authority as a daughter of the King who already has victory.
Allow me to elaborate…
My level of comfort has changed:
*No open sewage? Fresh air? Awesome! Enjoy it while it lasts.
*Sleeping in 90+ degrees is still not fun, but now possible.
*I’ll eat almost anything off the street. And dirt? God made dirt, dirt don’t hurt.
*I hate being alone. I used to crave it, but when you live with 43 people, being alone becomes so boring!
*21 days w/o washing my hair? Been there, done that. I have the healthiest hair you’ve ever seen.
*Yes, God loves to bless us, but his blessings don’t always look like our worldly comfort and wealth.
My theology is changing:
*All out dancing in church is pretty normal. I’ve even seen the worm. No joke.
*If the church sound system isn’t making you go deaf, it’s not loud enough.
*I choose to speak life over myself every day. I will speak truth over myself until I believe it and walk in it. What good is truth if I know it but don’t walk in it?
*I’m waking up to my identity. I have full authority in God’s kingdom. I can command sickness to leave. I can throw off every attack of the enemy. So I refuse to live under those things. It’s month 7 in 3rd world countries, and I have NOT and will NOT be sick.
*Prophecy, prayer languages, God’s voice, spiritual gifts, healing, and the presence of the Holy Spirit are very present in my daily life.
*Give give give. I’m being challenged to give beyond what I can afford to give. People I’ve met give to the point where they don’t know how they’ll eat dinner, but somehow they always have dinner. Somehow they always have what they need.
*My first reaction to almost every situation is to pray. That’s revolutionary. I prayed a lot before the race, but my emotions usually got to me before I thought to pray. I don’t get tired of praying, really. It’s a lifestyle now. I KNOW the power of prayer!
*Community has incredible value. I’m living the community of the church in Acts. And it’s GOOD! Yes, that type of community and church is still attainable. Don’t let anyone tell you otherwise.
God is placing strong callings on my life:
*Waking up other people to their identity in Christ is a strong desire of my heart.
*The desire to pour into other people, speak life over them, and give all I have to them is consuming me.
*Doing whatever it takes to bring and to see God’s kingdom is WORTH it. Absolutely worth it.
*I love love love kids. A lot. More than before. I don’t know what that looks like in the futu
re, but kids are definitely on my heart more so than 7 months ago.
THIS is what the world race will do to you, if you let it. God will shake you, that’s for sure. He promises us that in Hebrews. Whether you choose to go through the shaking or to sit off to the side is your choice. God is a gentleman. He’ll let you go through life shying away from his challenges. We get to choose if we want to grow or not. I’m not saying that life is going to be easy or smooth because he might send a storm your way to wake you up, but he lets us choose if we’ll be changed or not. He lets us choose if we want his highest for us or if we’d rather stay comfortable right where we are.
I dare you to choose his highest for you. I dare you to ask what that is and be willing to consider it, even if it’s crazy or insane. As I write this I feel like someone reading this is being asked to do something crazy and way beyond their comfort zone. If that’s you, I encourage you to step into it. It’s hard, it’s challenging, it’s moving, it’s life-changing, and it’s incredible. As I preach to myself as well, God is reminding me that it’s always worth it. We are the ones who miss out when we don’t choose his highest. He’ll accomplish his will, but we miss out on getting to do it and see it happen.
The world race, it will do crazy things to you. It’ll mess with your head and theology. It’ll strip you of your addiction to comfort and starbucks. It’ll mess you up for good, for the good of the Kingdom. Don’t miss out by staying in the AC w/ internet 24/7. Don’t be the one to miss out on Kingdom living.
