This time of year is so joyous, wonderful and one of my favorite times of year. It is a season of spending time with family and friends, giving to those in need, spending lots of money, having so much joy, putting up christmas lights, eating way too much food, and celebrating the birth of Jesus. Why does the birth of Jesus come last? In society I feel that Christmas is very commercialized. Its become about everything else and lastly Jesus. Its crazy to think that this time next year I will be spending Christmas in Mozambique, Africa. While this excites me to spend christmas with a new family and new friends it also gripes my heart with fear. It will be a christmas with no gifts, not a lot of food, no christmas lights and no christmas music. Why are those things important to me? The things I am "used to" christmas being about won't be there and that scares me for some reason. In all reality I should be so excited to spend christmas in a place where I have to remember the reason for the season, with no distractions and surrounded by people who love the Lord. Thinking of it in this way does begin to excite me. This time next year I will be in month 6 of the world race when right now I am waiting 6 months until I can leave for the world race. This time next year I hope to be even stronger, more dependent and solely relying on God more than I am today. The phrase even "this time next year" brings a whole new world of possibilities, hopes and dreams. I can't even imagine what this time next year might look like or the person I might be. All I know is as long as I strive each and everyday to become closer to my God and one with his heart then this time next year is the most exciting thing to look forward to. My squad and I leave for the World Race in July 2013 and in just a few short weeks it will be 2013 and it will actually be the year in which we are leaving. Each day it becomes closer and closer. Each day it becomes more real. The emotions are here, the excitement, the fear, the panic, the joy is and the heart that breaks for these people I will encounter is here. As I am challenging myself this christmas to remember the reason for this season, I encourage you to do the same. I can't wait for you guys to read my blog a year from now when christmas looks oh so very different. When the only thing I have to rely on is God. I will be challenged, out of my comfort zone, living with strangers and preaching to people who may not know a thing about Jesus, I will be pushed to my limits, even when I am exhausted I will be asked to give even more, and forced to become something God has always called me to be. This part of knowing how hard it will be excites me more than anything because in the times I have nothing left to give that when God comes through the most and gives all he has and its a beautiful thing. This time next year I can't wait to see how God has already moved through our time on the trip and the relationship we have formed as a team and with the people we encounter.
This time next year…
