"Momma always says there's an awful lot you could tell about a person by their shoes. Where they're going. Where they've been. I've worn lots of shoes. I bet if I think about it real hard I could remember my first pair of shoes." -Forrest Gump
Most people will know this reference really well. A lot of us have seen the movie at least once. Forrest Gump is talking about people and their shoes and how you can tell many things about those people. I never really gave that quote much thought till now, but as I sit here in our host home, I glance over at the door and notice all our shoes lined up. Each pair representing a different person…
The first pair that you will notice, belongs to my great friend and teammate, Raquel Bagnal. Raquel before coming on the race was living in Aiken, South Carolina where she attended the University of South Carolina. Ever since Rock was 7 years old, she has called the USA home. Before that, Rock’s Mom, Dad, 2 Sisters and her lived in the Philippines. It’s incredible to sit down and listen to Rock tell stories of her child hood and what life was like growing up on the island. She is an amazing woman of God and has such a passion to reach the lost…
The next pair is warn by my friend, Ashley Edwards who is a member of Team 220. Ashley is 21 years old and when she is not on the World Race, she calls Virginia home. Prior to coming on this crazy 11 month adventure, Ashley attended George Mason University where she studied global affairs and spanish. Ashley is a lot like me in the fact that she loves being from the south. She has an incredible family with whom she is super close too, and every time we start talking about what we love back home, somehow sweet tea, biscuits and gravy, and Mama and Grandma’s cooking comes into the conversation. Ashley, just like the rest of us, gave up everything to come on this journey to share the Gospel and minister to the least of these…
The third set of shoes, which are currently soaked from the snow and covered in sawdust, hard to see in this photo, but they’re mine. If you don’t know me and you just happen across this blog, I am 24 years old, I live in the mountains of western North Carolina in a little town called, Franklin, and before the race, I worked as a Christian radio station DJ, and a white water rafting guide… This time last year, I had just been accepted to the race and I never would have believed a year later, this is where I would be! Its insane what a year can do to somebody, HAHA…
Forth in the line, you will find a pair of mostly black, plaid, converse style, wool on the inside, snow boots… The owner of those beauties is Kip Deaton. A 23 year old, purebred, Oklahoman… In May 2011, she took a walk across the stage at the University of Oklahoma as a student and stepped off stage with a bachelors in architecture. Not yet ready to put on her “big girl pants”, she felt the Lord calling her to take a year off to pursue a deeper walk with the Him and see how the majority of the world actually lives…
The last two pairs of shoes belong to first, my teammate Amanda Brucki, and lastly to one of the other team leaders, my buddy, Kevin Vander Wal. I could sit for hours and tell you story after story about each person on this once in a life time adventure, but for now I will just tell you the real reason behind writing this blog.
Each pair of shoes in the picture above represent a different person, of a different age, who call different states home. Some have large families and some small. None of our lives looked the same before the World Race. We all happened in someway or another to stumble upon the World Race website, and voila! Here we are… Its pretty awesome to sit and listen to how each person got here and the odds it took. Whats even crazier though is to think that this time last year, none of us knew each other. We all had our own lives and they all looked different. Its pretty cool when you think about it. We all have different and exciting testimonies about coming to know the Lord, and the things that He rescued us from and how He brought us into His marvelous light! I am so thankful for His work in each of our lives and the work that He is continuing to do.
This race… it’s a journey. It’s got its ups and downs, but at the end of the day, I look back and realize that I have learned so much more than I ever thought possible. Everybody on this journey is growing and learning. For this season, we are all living in this community and experiencing life together. Its great facing this race along side these brothers and sisters in Christ and being able to help each other dive into the Lord more and more. Living in community isn’t always easy, but I believe we will get to the end of this race, look back, and realize how blessed we have been… Then, we will all return to our own lives, and get back to “the real world” so to speak… For the next 5 1/2 months though, this is our life.
Anyways, I love looking at our shoes. They really do tell a story and represent a completely different story for each person… I love to think about all this in terms of eternity too… All our lives looked so different before the race, and for this 11 months, are lives are very similar and we experience and relate to each other really well… After the race, when we all return home and move on with our lives, we will probably go back to some of what we used to know… In the long run though, we are all on the same journey… I’m not talking about the theory that “we all get to the same place eventually no matter what you believe”… I don’t believe that, but for all of us who are believers and followers of Jesus Christ… We will all finish this journey at the same place…
In the presence of Jesus…
Hebrews 12:1 – 2 says, “Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.”
I don’t think I will ever look at shoes the someway again. Each tells a different story and represents a different life… I cannot wait till we get to Heaven on day… It’s gonna be great…
Love y’all.
