"Why are you selling everything?" "What about your job?" "What will you wear when you get home?" "What about your dog?" "Didn't you just buy a new car?" "Seriously, you're going to live in a tent for a year?" These are only a few of the common questions I've been getting from people when I tell them about making the decision to go on The World Race. So let me address them here in this blog post on why I'm making this decision.
The thought of packing ALL my stuff again this year and moving it makes me nauseated. I've moved the last two years and it was such a major process I'd rather sell as much as I can and use the money to help fund my trip. Since my sale starts next week I've realized that my apartment has transformed into a small Super Target. Which also makes me realize that I own way more than any one person truly should. So why not purge for a good cause?
The last ten years of my life have been spent teaching middle school language arts. Fortunately, as a teacher I'm able to take a year's leave of absence and then return to my same classroom and position. As a single woman in her 30's this seems to be the perfect time to step away from the classroom for a year. Just think of all the amazing photos and stories I'll have to share with my future students! With the change in curriculum moving to literacy within the core subjects, I will be able to enhance so much of the history reading students will do at the middle school level.
I have to laugh when my friends ask me why I'm selling almost all of my clothes, because their greatest concern is what will I wear when I come home. As it turns out my mom and I are about the same size so she's already raided my closet and promised to let me have them back. Honestly, I hope that this experience helps me to recognize just how little a person can truly live with and still be just fine. Like I said small Target in my living room right now. It's almost embarrassing really.
There is no need to worry about my puppy Page! She will be living with a wonderful family who already know her. Page's doggie sitter has graciously agreed to take her in as her own while I'm away. This certainly puts me at ease bcause I know she will be loved and cared for.
My new-to-me 2007 Saturn Ion is going to be driven by my dad for the year. He likes that it has better mileage than his Caddy, and I know he'll take care of it. Better than I would I'm sure!
As for living in a tent so closely to people I don't know, I welcome this! I'm excited to be living with a group of people. It's been pretty boring coming home to just Page for the past 8 years. Plus, camping is one of my favorite this to do. Of course it won't be the awesome set up that my dad puts together, but it's still camping. No need for make up or a shower everyday. Liberating really.
The number one reason though for going on this trip is to be the hands and feet of Jesus for those who rarely receive that kind of treatment. It's not about me, it's about the gifts God has given to me that can be help for others. Rading some of the other rac blogs I have come to see how God has really been preparing me all along for a mission (or time) such as this. The last few years of my spiritual journey have included much time spent in the book of Esther. I'm beginning to see how this is the time God has prepared for me. I may not be able to save an entire peole, but at least I will be able to reach out to a number of them in the short time of 11 months.
So the next time someone asks me, "Why are you doing this?" my answer is because I can.
