“Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs, which look beautiful on the outside but on the inside are full of the bones of the dead and everything unclean.
In the same way, on the outside you appear to people as righteous but on the inside you are full of hypocrisy and wickedness.” Matthew 23: 27-28
Can any of you relate to this? I can. I lived for a good period of my life like a whitewashed tomb. I was that person with the puffed up ego because I went to church on Sunday morning after a weekend of partying and making poor choices, but all was forgiven because I went to church. More like those are the lies I told myself. Lies I chose to believe. I grew up in a Christian home, but never had the guts to stand up for what I believed. I protected my image even throughout college, my beautiful white clean walls I kept up around me, showing the world what I wanted it to see. I cleaned up real nice for Sunday mornings, but I still carried that sin and hypocrisy on the inside.
I tell you this because I want to let you in on what I’ve been going through these last few months. These last few months that I’ve been preparing, studying, fundraising, praying and growing before I leave for the World Race. I wanted to give you a glimpse behind the scenes into what Gods been doing in my life and what He’s put on my heart these few months. Where all you see is my fundraising get closer and closer to my fully funded goal, there has been so much more God has been doing in my life, behind the scenes, weaving all things together for this to take place.
At the beginning I became so focused on going to work, come home, fundraise. Go to work, come home, fundraise. When I was home in Maine for vaca in August my Dad did what the South calls a, “come-to-Jesus” moment, with me. Defined as: a moment of epiphany, enlightenment, or intuition regarding the truth of a matter. Basically you have to tell someone how it is! And my Dad helped snap me out of my self focused mind and not put God in a box. My mind was so focused on my doubts and this goal that seemed impossible. But in a relationship with God it’s your duty to be active and to do the POSSIBLE so God can do the IMPOSSIBLE. So by His strength and power He turns my weaknesses into strengths, my work into profit. “Work brings profit, but mere talk leads to poverty.” (Proverbs 14:23) My submission to the process is more important than the solution. Being submitted to the process is not willing to give up when it gets hard! And believe me, it’s been hard! Jesus says, “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.” (John 15:5) NOTHING! All my labors and hard work, all the tears, the laughter, the prayers, the obstacles, the awkward phone calls, networking, event planning, everything I have and will have to give up and surrender to be able to leave on this race would be for NOTHING and produce NO fruit, NO rewards, NO donations, NO new relationships, NO growth, if I didn’t first have that growing relationship with Jesus.
I can’t imagine, all that work, for nothing. When you see my funds increasing, imagine me stretching. I have so many new stretch marks in my faith from these last few months than ever before in my life! Stretch marks that have formed from uncomfortable situations, from divine interruptions, from stepping out of my comfort zone into new experiences. And stretch marks hurt, they’re not fun. But the perseverence, the trust in God, the spiritual growth, wisdom, and guidance, these rewards are so much greater and worth every second. I’ve had to work hard every day to not just whitewash my outsides, but my insides too. To fight hard every day against the Enemies lies when he tells me I can’t, God says I can. When he says you’re not good enough, no one will come to this fundraiser event, no one will want to support you, you don’t know enough people, you dont have what it takes, you don’t know enough scripture, or the right words to pray so you might as well not even try, God whispers gently, “Though you walk in the midst of trouble, I will revive you; I will stretch out my hand against the wrath of your enemies, and my right hand will save you.” (Psalm 138:7)
So yes, thanks to the generous, thoughtful donations from my supporters and partners I am beyond blessed to have reached $10,000. This means I can leave at launch with the rest of my C Squad in January 2016! My goal is to remain active, doing the possible, so I can leave fully funded and be able to focus more on Gods work than on my fundraising. I wouldn’t trade these last few months for anything. I’ve been enjoying this time to explore my relationship with God. Reading books, doing bible studies, reading through the Bible. But also just enjoying every day life! I realized a watched pot will never boil and the same goes for my fundraising! So I put myself out there! In new situations so God could work in me and I could be active in my faith! I’ve surprised myself even with taking up a coaching spot for a 3rd/4th grade Upward Soccer team (patience, lots of patience), along with getting more involved at church with youth ministry. I look at it this way: now I know how to teach (and play) soccer with kids in these other countries, AND now have the opportunity to be stretched in new ways. Rather than sitting at home worrying about fundraising, I can be more active in my faith and through that God can use it for His glory, and hey, if that’s to also help get me to my fundraising goal, I’m all for it!
Thank you for watching, reading, sharing and praying! I leave for my 10 day training camp this Wednesday in Gainesville, Georgia! I’ll be driving with two other girls on my team! We’ll meet the rest of our team plus the other 5 teams that will also be leaving in January at the same time but traveling to different countries. It’ll be a week of testing out my equipment, taking cold showers, bonding with team mates, games and praise and worship! Can’t wait, and I’ll take lots of pictures > with my new camera that my fellow friend and racer Amber Kopecky let me have! She’s in Romania as of now with her team but check out her blog > amberkopecky.theworldrace.org for pictures and ways you can support her!
