The other night, I was driving home in the worst fog that I have ever experienced. I'm not exaggerating when I say that I couldn't see anything beyond my windshield. When I was a kid in school and woke up to find out that there was a two hour late start due to fog, my first response was always, "Awesome!" which was then followed by, "That's the lamest excuse for a late start ever." Well, after driving in this fog, I have a newfound respect for fog-related late starts.
While I was making my seeminly blind drive home, I couldn't help comparing it to my journey with The World Race. I noticed three things in navigating through the fog:
1) Other drivers were passing me up like it was no big deal. I can't say that they were speeding. They were just going faster than me because of my caution towards the fog. As a result, I felt like I was going too slow. Lately, Satan has been trying to tell me that going on The World Race is going to slow me down. I see my friends and other people from my generation establishing lucrative careers, getting married, and having kids. And me? I'm 26 and dropping everything I know to become an international missionary. It doesnt seem like the next logical step in realizing the American Dream. However, God has revealed to me that there isn't just one mold, one formula, or one path that everyone must follow. He has called each and every one of us to a different life and different purpose that best glorifies Him.
2) Making my headlights brighter made things much worse. I think we all know this, but admit it, we've all tried it. The brighter our lights are, the more it reflects off the water in the fog resulting in even more dangerous driving conditions. It's best just to keep your lights at normal intensity and focus on little bits of the road at a time. People have asked me, "What are your plans after the World Race?" I think they do this to scare me, but to be honest, I have no idea what my future holds. I can just rest in knowing Who holds it. I might become a full-time missionary, I might get a job with Adventures in Missions, or I might come back home and pick up where I left off. The possibilities are endless, but I can't focus on things too far ahead of me when I have enough to focus on now. If I am obedient to God in the present, I have faith that He will take care of me in the future.
3) Landmarks are my friends. I haven't lived at the place I'm currently staying for very long. I could make the trip to the house I lived in until I was 25 with my eyes closed but not to this place quite yet. Of course, I would never drive with my eyes closed, but it sure felt like I was that night. Even though I didn't have the drive memorized, I know I could depend on different landmarks to get me home safely. I knew where certain signs and stop lights were. As soon as I made it to one, I could look for and focus on the next. Let's face it, $15,500 is a lot of money to raise. Thinking about that entire amount has tempted me to throw in the towel. However, the administration from The World Race has given me four deadlines, or landmarks, to focus on. Breaking the ultimate goal into four smaller ones has made things much more realistic and a lot less overwhelming.
Our first deadline is due before Training Camp in May, and I am happy and (relieved) to announce that we have already achieved it. As of this blog post, I have a total of $4,374.76 in my World Race account. There is no other way to explain it other than God and His working through you. Thank you to those who have supported me so far and those who are planning on doing so. Also, thank you to everyone who has been partnering with me in this endeavor through prayer!
"Your word is a lamp to guide my feet and a light for my path."
Psalms 119:105
