I started this list back in Vietnam when I was halfway done with the World Race. You can see my first four HERE.
5. I still love bar ministry…
Bars are fun! There are all types of people inside them and most of the time, they’re all a blast to hang around with. Whether with friends or strangers, bars have always been a cool opportunity to talk to people about Jesus because it’s not the average setting. When I’ve brought up Jesus in a bar, it was always well received because 1) never was I ever condemning anyone 2) I always had a drink in my hand because yes, Christians do drink and 3) let’s be honest, people will talk about anything once they’ve had a few drinks! Month Seven some of our girls went to Thailand and did bar ministry and basically just loved on the people there. We are not here to condemn, we are here to love.
6. Beauty is fleeting, but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised.
As I’ve been on this adventure God has continually been talking to me about relationships, beauty, and how much of a lie society is when it comes to those two things. Society says that it’s the outward appearance that matters. But God taught me that the most attractive thing about someone, is having Christ in their heart.
A lot of girls want their Prince Charming and White Knight to come and sweep them off their feet and fix everything and love them well. Well I found mine, and His name is Jesus Christ. He has started a fire within my heart for Him, and as that fire has grown into an inferno, it has made me more confident in who I am and how beautiful I am. The beauty that is on the outside is going to fade. But the beauty that is on the inside will remain forever.
And one day, an earthly Prince Charming will come too. And I’ll know he is my Prince Charming because of the light and love of Christ he has inside him too. Because a man after God’s own heart is striving to look like Christ. And since Christ is the most attractive thing I know, that will make my Knight in Shining Armor one of the most attractive things on this earth.
7. How to choose joy and find the God moments in everything.
When you are pulled out of a country that you love because of precautions that you don’t feel are a valid enough reason to leave, instead of blaming AIM or the world, remember that God has a plan in it all.
Our first route change took us away from going to Kenya, Uganda and Rwanda. A lot of my squad mates were devastated. Two weeks into our first month, there was a bombing at a mall in Kenya. We might have been there. Maybe God was protecting us from that because He knew we would’ve been there otherwise.
Month Ten we were pulled out of Haiti because of the Chikengunya fever. A lot of my teammates were incredibly angry. Instead I reminded them that this wasn’t AIM’s fault, and to remember that God was the one who directed AIM to pull us out. Blame God, not AIM. He has a plan in it all, we just might not be able to see it. Trust, don’t blame.
8. I am an extreme introvert.
Introvert versus Extrovert has to do with the way you recharge and where you get your energy from. Introverts typically need to be alone to recharge, whereas extroverts need to be around others to get their energy.
I’ve learned from a year of living in community, that I am an extreme introvert. When I feel physically, spiritually, and mentally exhausted and drained, if I were at home I would spend a solid week alone with barely any human interaction so that I could recharge. But on the Race, you are never alone. Never. And if you are, it’s only for a few hours, not a solid week like how I need.
9. I take for granted the freedom and ability to treat my body as a living sanctuary for Christ.
Before the Race I struggled with bulimia. After I experienced freedom from that, all I wanted to do was treat my body right. I wanted to eat healthily and exercise smartly. But because I was on the Race, I still didn’t really have control over that. I still wasn’t in control of what/how/when I ate. And I still wasn’t allowed to be by myself to exercise when/how I wanted to. It was frustrating. But it made me realize that at home, I took for granted the ability to eat the things I wanted and exercise when and however I wanted to. It gave me such a new appreciation for having the freedom at home to be able to eat a salad if I want to, or to go for a run at any point in the day by myself. So once I get home, I will praise God for those things, instead of abusing them and taking them for granted. I am so thankful that in two days I will once again have the freedom to do those things if I want!
10. Your Race is not going to look like everyone else’s, and that’s ok, because that’s why God called you here.
I spent eight months of my Race comparing my experiences with my squad mates and feeling inadequate because I felt like I wasn’t living up to my Race expectations. I wasn’t bringing anyone to know Christ in any crazy way, I wasn’t witnessing amazing physical healings, and I wasn’t falling in love with any country or ministry. I knew I wasn’t called to abroad missions long term, but I would guilt myself into believing that I wasn’t good enough to even be here.
Then one day I realized that my mission field hasn’t necessarily always been out here on the field. But it’s actually been at home the whole time. Before I left on the Race I prayed that every single one of the blogs I posted would impact at least one person. And God has fulfilled that prayer. After I posted my bulimia blog, the responses I got were astonishing, and keep coming. That’s when I realized that from the start God was calling me on this World Race adventure because He had a lot to do in me, and He was going to use these amazing experiences as a way to teach me and grow me. I might not feel like I’m impacting the nations in any life changing way, but they have been impacting me. And in turn, have been impacting home. It might look different to other people’s, but it is all from the Lord and it is all good.
11. Jesus Christ is my knight in shining armor and my Prince Charming and I am His bride.
Coming on the Race I had a completely different definition of what “love” was. But throughout these 11 months, He has radically changed my understanding of what love looks and feels like.
Love is unconditional. Despite the ups, downs, twists, turns, good times, bad times, you are still loved always.
Love is being pushed and challenged and stepping out of your comfort zone so you can continue to grow and change to look more like Christ.
Love is having things taken from you so that better things can be given.
Love is to know that Christ is enough.
Love is to know that loving like Christ is radical, beautiful, and different. And I’m a huge fan of it.
