I cannot believe it! I leave in less then four months and I am already more than half way funded for the World Race! So that means I am 50% funded, which means I only need to raise about $8,000 more to be fully funded, which then means I only need $2,000 more to meet my next deadline July 22nd! Like come on! Praise Jesus y’all!! The Lord is so faithful, so good and so worthy of all the glory!.
I am not going to lie, this preparation season has been a huge challenge for me. It has taught me not to lean on my own understanding and strength. But to give myself and everything I claim as my own to Jesus and allow him take control. This means everything, including finances! The cost for the World Race is a hefty amount of money, so in order for you to reach a years wages amount of money you expect to have to work a whole lot more. But I have discovered the case is quite the opposite when it comes to being in the Lord’s will.
See, before applying for the World Race I had a five year plan. A plan where I would work more and harder than I have ever worked in my life for the next five years. I would complete school, get a good job with a steady income and save up for the World Race. Then I would finally go when I was 25 years old. I set up a separate saving account in my bank and named it the “Missionary Money,” I made a rule that I could not touch that money unless the Lord told me to go on a mission trip somewhere. I had it “all figured out!” But what is the point of all this planning when you live a life completely sold and souled out to the plans of God?
I found myself dropping out of school, dropping out of leadership positions in church and out of other ministries. I had no idea what God was doing. All I knew is the Lord spoke and I had to obey. This obedience led me to a place of confusion, doubt and fear…but a whole lot of openness to hear from the Lord. With only $700 in my “Missionary Money” account I heard the Lord tell me to apply for the World Race in faith. Of course with a little bit of doubt I decided to plea my case before the Lord expecting him to “understand.” But He already understood, and so did I; this meant that I would have to really learn what it looks like to lean on and trust in the Lord. Jesus knew I only had $700 put away for missions, He knew I was trying to make it by with only $10 an hour while also paying for rent and bills. Yes, I may be good with money, but doing the math there was no way I could save up $17,000 in less than a year. Why would in any practical reason would Jesus ask me to do something so risky?
Well He is Jesus so He can ask me to do what every He wants me to do. So there I was, trying to be honorable to my promise of being obedient no matter the “cost” and said yes to Jesus. I picked a route and applied the moment I got home from work. Sitting in my 600 square foot apartment, full of excitement and zeal with my laptop open and the submit button a click away; I made a decision that would soon change my spiritual walk more than I could ever imagine (and the trip hasn’t even started yet).
Ready, Set, GO! Time to start trusting in Jesus more than you every had to before! It was time for me to see God release is faithfulness upon me. With little-to-no money saved in comparison to the amount for the World Race, I found myself meeting the first deadline of $5,000 five months before the deadline had to be met. All because of the faithfulness of Jesus. Now here I am with half the funds raised still a month before the first deadline.
With only four months left before I leave, God is now calling my to take another step of faith. He is asking me to leave my job and trust in His provision for the next few months I have to prepare. He is asking me to step onto the waters while the waves are the most fierce and to keep my gaze upon him. I want to take this time to encourage you. If the Lord has been tugging on your heart about some sort of crazy decision. Whether that be to move somewhere, to drop something or to even pursue a relationship, just do it and trust in the Lord. He is the God of provision, He is the sustainer and the author and the perfecter of your life. Who better to trust with your decisions than Jesus? He is faithful!
