“The chatterbox doesn’t preface its lies with an announcement: Attention! The thought you’re about to think is absolutely toxic, designed to lead you away from the good and perfect will of your loving heavenly Father. Instead, like a distortion pedal, the chatterbox manipulates the truth.”
Steven Furtick, Crash the Chatterbox
In that statement, Furtick refers to the “chatterbox” as the enemy and the lies that we allow ourselves to believe. Whether it’s getting ready in the morning, looking at your grades or even driving to work. The chatterbox always seems to be awake when you are and never stops working against you.
“You won’t be ready.”
“You’ll fail.”
“You’re too scared.”
or my most common one
“If you were really called by God, then you’d be more help here at home. You’d have more progress.”
The chatterbox swoops in and there goes my confidence and dreams gone in an instance. Often times, the essential messages that we are intended to hear are the opposite of what we do hear. I don’t want to live my life worrying about what the “chatterbox” says about me. Instead, I want to be able to live in truth of what I know is true and what God says about me.
“You may not ever be ready, but I will prepare you.”
“You’ll succeed in my Name.”
“My strength and love will triumph your fear.”
“I am calling you. Listen to me. You are doing marvelous things right where you are.”
For the past year I have strived to listen to His voice and out-voice the chatter. I listened to God’s voice when I left for a month to the Philippines. Now, in August of 2016 I will be saying yes to another one of His callings.
I am so excited to say that after prayer, consideration, consultation, and digging into the Word I have decided and been accepted to go on World Race Gap Year!
Okay. So what does “World Race Gap Year” mean for you Cass?
Gap Year is a 9 month trip that is focused on 3 months in 3 different countries. The countries I will go to will be Balkans (Southeast Europe), Philippines (again!!), and South Africa. A current racer so beautifully defined it as this.. A unique aspect of the World Race is that it’s not only a mission trip, but also an intensive discipleship program designed to launch my generation into a specific calling for the Kingdom. Through the World Race, my squad and I will serve in partnership with churches and ministries in local communities to preach the Gospel, plant churches, work in orphanages, labor work but most of all spiritual work. By spreading love and bringing the name of Jesus to nations.
Crashing the chatterbox and listening to this calling for Gap Year also means that I won’t be going to college for the first year. So as I finish out my senior year with so many “lasts” I will begin so many more “firsts”. I won’t be packing up my stuff and living in a dorm room instead, packing up my stuff and living out of a backpack. It means that I will face so many difficulties on and off the race, encounter a life-changing experience, and grow in Christ in different ways.
Family and friends have already embraced my new journey with love and warm hugs. But if you feel you want to contribute to my journey, then you can go to my homepage and click on “Support Me!”. I have a total of $13,605 that needs to be raised. With about a year to go I know that God will provide me with this throughout you guys! However, if you want to know more about how I’m learning to crash the chatterbox on this journey or what I will be doing and how it all works PLEASE hit me up! I want you guys to walk beside me on this journey and be apart of it. It is because of your support and love throughout my life that I hear God’s calling. If you can’t donate then know I will surely take hugs and smiles and will still love you.
I still haven’t crashed the chatterbox completely. I probably won’t ever do it. I still sometimes feel like it’s crazy I won’t be going to college. I still feel like I have no idea how I’m getting to be apart this journey. All I know is that God is so awesome and we are all so blessed to be Daughters and Sons of God!
-Cass
