All my life I have been comfortable. I have had food and water and a home. I had church and faith. A loving family, tons of friends. sports, social activities. I had vacations and trips and experiences. I had love and support. I had help. I had hands to hold and hugs to get. I had education to teach me what I didnt know and I had doctors to help me when I was sick. I was comfortable, content. I had it all. Right?
I have never in my life been more wrong.
Three years ago I heard about this thing…this mission trip. People went to 11 countries in 11 months. I loved the idea of it…but thought no way. Not me.
I mean come on….I dont do bugs…and I definitely DONT do snakes. I like pizza and I like showers. I love to travel, but sleeping in a tent for a year on the ground? Nope…I'll find a different way. I really did want to spread the love of God…to show people how awesome He is. But I wanted to do it my way. I didnt want to give up all those awesome, comfortable things I mentioned before.
Two months ago I was sitting in my room, listening to music and not doing much of anything. Before I realized what I was typing, my eyes were staring at the World Race website. I hadnt looked at it in at least a year….and yet there it was. Staring at me. I clicked on a couple videos, read some blogs…and then got hooked. I was on the website every chance I got. But yet I still didnt apply. I would watch video after video, read blog after blog. I wanted to be those people, to have those experiences, to feel the love and the power of God. To have that relationship with Him. Yet, I still didnt apply. Because I still wanted to do it my own way. Ive always been extremely stubborn…I do things my way and in my own time.
Well God was having none of that. The World Race was in my head for months. It wouldn't go away. God had started a flame inside me. I would be doing the most random things whether it was work, having a beer with friends, doing homework, taking exams, running…but anything I did the Race was in my head. And still I fought it. Because I didnt know if I could bear being "uncomfortable." I didnt want to leave my friends, or my family. I thought "Cmon God, cant you give me a trip thats only like a month long?" I didnt want to miss anything here.
Well, God does work in mysterious ways. I was sitting in a room full of friends a couple weeks ago…just hanging out. We were laughing, talking, telling old stories. It was such a familiar place, such a comfortable place. All of a sudden, the words "APPLY" flashed across my brain. Right there, in a room full of friends and people I loved, I had never been more UNCOMFORTABLE. God was telling me, get your butt off that chair and apply for the World Race. In that moment, everything changed. I no longer wanted to be comfortable. In fact, I was completely uncomfortable with being comfortable. And the flame turned to fire.
So here I sit, six months away from what is going to be the most incredible, heart-warming, heart breaking, hardest, crazy, insane, rewarding, uncomfortable yet EXCITING year of my life.
I am trading everything I know for everything I dont know. I have always wanted to help people…I wanted to change the world. But I wanted to do it on my own time and in my own way. Well, God didnt say "Hey, spread the love when you feel like it ok?" He didnt say it would be easy or convenient or comfortable. He simply said to DO IT.
So, Here I go.
