Month Seven of the Race came to a close much faster than I anticipated possible (day one of Swazi I swore this would be the longest month of my life, but why is another story for later). I told myself at the start of this thing that I would stay present-minded this year and that I wouldn’t think about what comes after the Race until at least Month Eight debrief. And I’ve done well, for the most part, until now.
“What’s next” is a question that has sat like a morning fog that never lifts – not just for me, but for so many people on my squad. Suddenly we’ve realized that the amount of time we have left on the Race is less than the five months we spent living in Asia…and it’s sent the question out like an offensive odor that you just can’t get out of your clothing (or maybe that’s just our World Race stank). Maybe it’s our parents or our friends who are all excited about our return and just can’t help but let those two words escape their mouths.
Or maybe it’s just ourselves being so excited about the future…because the World Race does this funny thing where it unlocks any and all possibility. After traveling the world and meeting incredible people following the Lord instead of the expectations of culture…you start to realize that there’s really no rules about the future.
My days off this month have been spent doing nothing…glorious nothing, other than just enjoying days of peace and rest and having all the time in the world to hang out with Jesus and together. Yesterday, he reminded me of a simple truth He spoke to me while we were driving through the insanely beautiful scenery of South Africa last month.
“The world is bigger than the one you’ve accepted for yourself.”
I didn’t understand it when he spoke it, and I still don’t quite understand it…but naturally it led me back to the “what’s next” questions that litter my journal. Where do I live? Where do I work? What job do I even think about getting? Do I go back to school? For what? What’s next?
And then, as gentle as the breeze across my face-
Stop. Just stop.
Why are we so obsessed with what’s next? Why do we always have to know and why do we let that need blind us to what’s happening right in front of us?
Sure, there are some future things to think about that are seriously important (making dinner being one of those things…doing your laundry is another one)…but worrying about something that’s 5 months from now? It robs the present of so much of its beauty.
What’s next is self-forgetfulness.
It’s about what the Lord is doing in you right now…not what He hasn’t done, not what you hope He’s going to do. It’s being free of self-analysis and therefore free of guilt and shame, hearing the voice of the Lord singing hallelujahs over you instead of hearing your own voice of doubt and condemnation because of the past or the future. It means running around or crawling on the floor with children, or jumping on crunchy leaves simply because they’re there, not thinking about how it makes you look but instead thinking about how the Father is laughing along with you.
What’s next is right now.
It’s the things that the Lord is doing here, in this present moment. It’s not what happened a year ago, it’s not what will happen a month from now…it’s not about living in Month 8 when there’s still 10 days left in Month 7. It’s right now: the kids living in the homestead, the combi driver, taking a walk only to end up caught in a thunderstorm, stopping for 20 minutes to drink Coke out of a glass bottle and stare at the artwork of creation laid before you.
So here we are, ending Month 7 and saying goodbye to Swaziland…and I finally know what’s next.
Month 8, kicking off with a giant sleepovers in multiple airports.
