Wow! That came and went faster than expected! This is the very last blog post I’ll be writing as a World Racer. That feels surreal. I still don’t know if I fully grasp that concept even as I write this. There have been plenty of tears shed, friends made, languages spoken and souls introduced to real love. Beyond all of that, there have been seeds scattered. That’s what this entire journey was. Seeds being scattered across six different countries. Every step taken through this great big world was taken in the name of Jesus and claimed for his kingdom! While some of you may have reached out to me through Facebook or email, others just read these blog posts and followed along in their own way. No matter how you chose to be a part of this experience, I’m so grateful you did. I am amazed and humbled by the opportunities for growth and newness I’ve been handed by Jesus! There’s no amount of words that will accurately summarize my Race experience. No matter how many stories I tell you about kind old women I’ve chatted with or children I’ve played soccer with, I cannot articulate the wonders gifted to me and my fellow Racers this year. So as this chapter comes to a close and the music fades I want to look forward to the new season already beginning. I’m coming home as a very different Chessie than the one you may remember speaking to last. This “me” has been refined. I’ve made difficult choices and discovered the power in community. I speak to the heart of the issues that matter to me and I’m no longer afraid to show the world the Real me. I communicate differently and I know what I need in regards to my every day life in order to live with purpose. I can’t unsee the brokenness of this world we live in anymore. No matter how badly I sometimes wish I could, it just isn’t possible. While I wish I could turn a blind eye to how much excess drenches our Western culture, I can’t. Today I nearly cried looking at all the available options on Netflix! Isn’t it funny how the Lord works like that? In our brokenness he is glorified. In my exposure to the lame, hungry, alone and ignored he has stripped me of my ability to withhold the love of God! This is how the Kingdom will be brought to every single person we meet. Through the love we show one another as fellow human beings. In the little moments we chose not to look away but to reach out and touch the leper. In the grace with which we respond to somebody’s shortcomings. The times we finally stop for the beggar we’ve walked past one hundred times before. The way we lead in the charge against violence, racism, discrimination and injustice. The Kingdom of heaven is at hand. It is in the here and now. As eternal beings, our eternity began the moment he breathed our names into existence. When he called your name, he called it along with all of creation singing “Rise up.” The minute his pen touched the paper of the book of Life with your name, you were charged with a commandment to love your neighbor. Love them because this is how the world will know we are the true body of Christ.
John 13:35 “By this all people will know that you are my disciples – if you love one another.”
In many ways I don’t want this season to be finished. In many other ways I’m ecstatic for it to end! The sadness stems from saying goodbye to the most beautiful adventure I’ve ever been on. The excitement is due to an overwhelming desire to take this new-found perspective home with me! Jesus and I walked more intimately this last year than I’ve ever known him in my life. He climbed the mountain with me and he’s entering the valley by my side. As I look into his heart I see so much hope for the next chapter. I feel overwhelmed by peace and joy knowing that he will never leave and he intends to see this work through to completion at the day of his return.
Thank you all again for being such incredible supporters of not only my World Race but my life up to this point! You’ve all shaped me, altered me and mentored me into the woman I am today and I praise God for you. I will be in New Orleans from June 8th-June 23rd. After that I’ll be returning to Daegu, South Korea from July 8th-Late December. Please send me a message on Facebook, Instagram or email if you would be interested in getting coffee and hearing more in depth about what this year was.
Thank you.
-Chessie
