The World Race is really happening now! It has been a very sentimental summer of soaking up final moments with my friends and family, and now I am in Atlanta for launch! The culmination of the life I have known thus far was the moment I finally set to work in fitting all of the things I need for a whole year into one backpack (modeled below by Matt). Alas, after 498 hours, 5,2001 tears, and 72 “I can’t do this” texts sent to fellow world racers, I was finally packed and ready to hop in the car and make the trek to Atlanta (thirty minutes before our 4 a.m. departure time).
I’ve been feeling all the feelings this past week, especially as I said very hard goodbyes to the people who mean the most to me. At times, the gravity of spending eleven months in random locations with random people led me to be consumed with worry about all the difficult times and situations that I know are to come. However, in the midst of the doubts and concerns, God provided me with a reminder of His goodness.
Yesterday morning, I read Deuteronomy 8, which is all about why Israel spent forty years in the wilderness. Of course, I had always known as a fact that Israel had spent time in the wilderness and that they were journeying to reach the promised land, but I suppose I had never really thought about why all that time in the wilderness was necessary. In some vague way, I knew that it was to increase their faith in the Lord, but I had never really sat down to consider it. However, this chapter provided so much insight into “the great and terrifying wilderness” (v. 15). Very simply, the wilderness is the testing ground for life in the “good land” (v. 7), and this is just as true for us now. As frustrating as it is, we need to experience hardships so we know what it is like for God to bring us through them. Otherwise, in the good times, we would only think to thank ourselves.
The hard times will come. It’s inevitable. What is important to remember is that God uses these trials as a tool for our betterment. He will “humble and test you” but it is “to do you good in the end” (v. 16). Hearing this word and knowing that it is truth from my God is extremely comforting to me as I enter into this period of the unknown. While it may be unknown to me, he knows all that is to come, and I can trust that the hardships will be used for good. My hope for you is that you, too, can remember that in the trials and the testing, there is so much good to come.
*I am just able to post this now, but I am not in Atlanta anymore; this was written last week. Updates to come!
