Deciding to go on World Race was one of the hardest decisions I have ever made. One minute I knew it was what I was supposed to do and the next I would be filled with doubts. Doubts wondering whether I was going for the right reasons, should I leave my family for 11 months, what about my friends, you name it and the doubt was there. It was a constant battle, wondering what exactly God has planned for my life. I knew that I desired to go on World Race, but did my desires truly align with Gods?
As I sat in my room one night, after talking to multiple people who had been on the race before and talking with both my parents, I actually began to tear up. I can’t explain it, but it hit me that this was what I was to do next in my life. It scares me in so many ways and I am sure it will over the months to come. I realized though that I was seeking so hard for God to literally give me a sign that this was what I was supposed to do, that I forgot that every prayer and concern I had given over to him he had answered in multiple ways. It was never just a big sign saying “go”, but it was the subtle hints. The fact that everyone special in my life has given me 100% support and they are saying things like “World Race seems like you” or “typically God’s desires align with yours, why are you questioning that?” or just random text messages from people saying they are praying for me as I make my decision. Then my favorite was a verse that a dear friend of mine read to me once and kept coming to mind; 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 , “Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus”. God was showing me His answers to my prayers all along through the people in my life. The very people whose support & prayers I will need while I’m gone and when I return.
I just need to trust the Lord and not be afraid that this isn’t his plan, but rather trust that he has given me desires that align with His desires for me. God has given me a burning desire to serve Him in ways that are out of my comfort zone and that will grow and stretch me in unimaginable ways I don’t even know yet. I am ready for the Lord to take me to countries I have never been to before and live in new cultures and living conditions that I never knew existed. I want to be pushed and challenged in ways that make me more like Christ and prepare me to do His work for the rest of my life. And so I go.
