When I was a baby, about one year old, my aunt was visiting our family. She had been curling her hair and left the curling iron on the counter. Being a curious child I decided to pull on the cord. What resulted was me catching the hot curling iron between my raised right arm and my ear, leaving a permanent reminder of the incident on my upper arm. For 21 years this was the only scar I had acquired. Other than stepping on hot coals as a silly first grader, I had never had some intense trip to the emergency room. I was healthy, never a bone broken, and that was the way I liked it.
Then the race happened. As you will know from previous blogs, I celebrated my 21st birthday in the emergency room in Malaysia, only to spend the following day in a different hospital in Malaysia getting stitches in my knee. I spent the first two and half months of my race with a limp, I sliced into a pretty big chunk of my thumb in month three, and in month five I acquired a nasty spider bite, giving me yet another limp and trip to the hospital.
Here's my point: for 21 long years at home I managed to never get hurt and rarely get sick. I kept myself safe and guarded, then in the matter of six months I've accumulated numerous scars,been to the hospital more than my fair share, and been sick all too often for my liking. Either someone really needs to put a warning label on the World Race, or there is something God is trying to teach me here.
I really started thinking this over when during debrief we were discussing the changes God has made in us over the first half of the race, where we were and where we saw God taking us. As I looked back I was reminded to look at my body, my flesh, and view the visible marks the race has had on me. More changes, scars and bruises, have happened to me over the past six months than over the course of my entire life, and I couldn't be happier about it.
You see, every scrape, cut, fever, and stitch is a reminder of the process. The process God is taking me on, the process my heart is going through to truly love, the process of growth and stretching and just teaching He has brought me through. These scars have stopped me from adding to my tattoo collection while on the race, because honestly, these scars are more true of my journey than any ink I could put on my skin. They are my story, the story of a relationship that has had trials and triumphs. The story of a battle for the takeover of my heart, and these are the battle wounds of a war well won.
With all of that being said, I'm not finished here. I have so much more to learn, so much more that God has to reveal to me. I have more work to do in more nations and I CANNOT go home yet. I'm already passed my deadline with still about $3,600 to go. I promise you that I am not comfortable asking for money. I am not the kind of person that finds this easy. It humbles me more than you can imagine to have to ask over and over for more money. But this is what God called me to. This is plan for my life and I will do what He asks of me. So here I am, asking for you to please pray about donating. If you aren't called than please pray for the people that are. Thank you so much for your continued support.
