Many of my supporters are friends and family who resonate with the adventure aspect of the World Race, the heart for serving others in need, or simply the desire to support me. My faith is my driving desire to do this, and for those who plan on following along but don’t understand, I wanted to shed some light into that.
AND I promised to tackle some of the questions I listed in an earlier post so here goes nothing.
I didn’t grow up with a relationship with God and teaching is one of my weaknesses–am I knowledgeable and comfortable enough to share the Gospel with others? Isn’t that just plain awkward?
As I grew to know Christ in college, I never felt the desire to share it. It had always been about quietly sticking to what I believe but not wanting to push my beliefs to others. Nobody knows the real truth, so who am I to know and say any better? And while I am slowly working on it, I haven’t read the entire Bible, and I am not well-versed in my knowledge of Christianity; it is, by far, one of my weaknesses. It generally takes me a while to process thoughtful questions, and while one can throw a theological question to stump me, it doesn’t mean that God doesn’t exist.
In this broken world, there are people who have never heard the Gospel. There is also ignorance. There is hatred. To some, Jesus is an imaginary friend or seen as a zombie–risen from the dead–only crazy people believe in that! Because his life on Earth was so long ago, it’s hard to relate, and I sometimes find myself in disbelief. How in the world would I get people to believe in this when I’m pretty sure I sometimes sound like a lunatic? When the important people in my life have to ask if I am going to join a cult?
It’s uncomfortable, and it’s hard. However, I’ve come to realize that this is not ME doing any convincing. This is not ME converting people. It’s me simply sharing my story and how I found myself in that bigger story of our Creator. It will be GOD who will be changing people’s hearts, NOT ME. And even if the results aren’t instant (especially living in this crazy culture where everything is now expected to be instant..ramen? oatmeal? :p), there’s a seed planted. It’s a seed that could take a while to grow but a seed that could grow in time if God so chooses. Forgive the cheesiness 🙂
To make a long story short(er), I’ve gotten to know a God who has kept me going when my heart’s been broken, battered, and bruised. I’ve also experienced Him in joyous occasions and found an amazing and supportive community through Him. I find myself living in grace and running to Him for strength when I feel diminished. It doesn’t make the circumstances of my life any different but having Jesus sure helps me deal with things a lot better. The way my life has transformed is pretty awesome, so WHY NOT share?
If words can express the way that God has spoken to me through the Gospel, it’s something like this:
I don’t care if you are single and childless, married, gay, straight, disabled, living in the slums or in a two-story house with a white picket fence in the suburbs–these identities are constructed on Earth, but I ultimately see you as my child. There is so much brokenness, but I sent my son to die on a cross to take the place of all of your sins and destructive thoughts, emotions, and actions, so don’t worry. I forgive you for all the mistakes you’ve made, are making, and will be making because of that sacrifice. You are created in my image, and you are BEAUTIFUL and you are LOVED. Never forget that I am always with you.
You see, I would never want to force anybody to love me. And perhaps God feels the same way by giving us that choice to love and follow Him. Perhaps the Gospel is one way to make sense of our lives, and what’s ultimately in a person’s heart–despite of the knowledge one has–is up to God to decide when the day comes.
Until that day comes, I want to live my life sharing the Gospel by showing that kind of love I know from Him, whether it be telling my story, smiling at the homeless person asking for money on the streets, sacrificing “me time” to serve the community I live in, trying to genuinely know my friends, or expressing patience and grace to the crazy driver who almost ran me over. It’s not easy, and I know that I don’t owe Him anything. However, I will live my life this way because of this message and my love for our great, awesome, powerful Creator.
