Here I am, sitting in the back of a pickup truck in Thailand, staring at the stars and talking to God. Laying here I realized that I’m literally talking to the Creator of the universe, the Savior of the world. It is such an indescribable feeling of awe and joy sitting in His presence and enjoying His majesty. As I was praying and reading the Bible, I was overcome with such thankfulness for the Lord’s grace and mercy.
When I left home, I thought I was giving up so much, relationships, comforts, and “fun”. I was so wrong, I could have never imagined how joyful my life would be. God blessed me with so much, a team who I love more than I can express, a deeper relationship with Him, and the greatest sense of joy I’ve ever experienced. Following God’s plan for my life is far more satisfying than anything else on this earth. How blessed are we that God set a plan for each of our lives, and what an honor it is to live it out.
In Thailand I’ve been struggling with what to do after the race. I have no clue what the future will hold, and it was really worrying me. College deadlines are quickly approaching and I’m halfway across the world filling out applications for the second time. I wasn’t sure if a certain college was where He wanted me, or if I was picking the right major. Then one of my fellow teammates shared some of his wisdom. He explained that as long as I am obeying the Lord’s commands to love others and spread His kingdom, I am living out His will for me. I realized that God has me in His arms, no need to worry. I placed my complete trust in Him and I’m sure He will reveal to me the next stage of my life in His time. I’ve never experienced such peace. I know it’s the peace that can only come from being with God. I’ve never had such hope and excitement for the future. Although I don’t know what I’ll be doing next year, I know that if I am walking with the Lord, it will be truly amazing.
So as Christmas approaches, I encourage you to thank God for His unending love. That He allows us to be with Him, talk with Him, to love Him. We can live everyday with the comfort and joy of knowing that the Creator of the universe loves us and walks with us. Because of God’s great love, He sent His son to die for us, allowing us to spend eternity with Him, the best gift ever given.
