Hi, Hey, Howdy,
Many of you have already read this blog from when I posted it on my actual website [https://elliemiller.co] but here it is again for all the newbees 🙂 This was me before I applied for the World Race..
You think you have a lot of time… until you don’t
Before you ask (or think?) no, this is not a “I have 3 months to live blog” but yes it is a ihavedecidedtograduateearlyandsomylifejustjumpedawholeyearforward-blog post.
When I was 14 and in 8th grade, one of my youth leaders who I was close with pondered the opportunity to go on the world race. Which she soon after explained to me was an 11-month mission trip where you travel with a group to 11 countries in 11 months, staying in each country for a month doing mission work. Although she ended up not going, it lead me to do some research about the program and at the ripe age of 14 I decided when I was 21 (the minimum age requirement) I would go on the world race. Ultimately the Lord likes to laugh at all the plans we make (or try to make) cause they almost always end up changing. I soon realized when I would be 21 I would be halfway through college and knew stopping school for a year would be really hard especially knowing the nature of people to delay pursuing dreams cause there ‘isn’t enough time’. And so with that I had given up on going but still kept it on my radar.
I still followed the program and people on the race so eventually I found the part on their website I had missed that says “Gap Year” which is basically the same thing but you go to 3 countries for 9 months and stay in each country for 3 months. It had never occurred to me to take a gap year in between high school and college but suddenly it seemed like the solution to my problems. So freshman year I planned to graduate high school, go on the world race, come back and go to college. Easy
Once again I thought of the repercussions of starting college a year later and the fact that I would be 20 and a freshman… (considering my birthday is already really early). It just didn’t seem right, so once again I stopped pursuing the idea and finished freshman and sophomore year not putting much thought into it.
BUT
the first week of summer after sophomore year I was on choir trip and my friend Miranda was talking about how she was graduating early… that was it. the answer to my prayers, the missing piece. A way I could go on the mission trip and begin college with people my age!! In a week I had contacted my counselor, figured out the classes I would have to make up, and curated a plan to pull this crazy feat off!! To graduate early people usually plan years ahead…. I had jumped on the train with only 12 weeks until school began, but while every other plan I had made fell short. All the pieces fell into place with this one in such a way I could not ignore the calling on my life to serve.
Seeing as I was juggling 4 classes, work, an internship and still trying to have a social life during the summer you’d think I would be loosing my mind, but for once I felt peaceful knowing that everything would get done and that what I was doing was right and meant to be.
Thus, leads me to where I am now. Don’t be fooled, THIS PROCESS IS NOT EASY I went from thinking I still had 2 years left with my friends, yearbook, youth group, family ect. to only one year: 365 days: 12 months. Although this seems excessive, I believe following Jesus does not come without sacrifice and if I have learned anything this year it has been that the earthly things we love are in no comparison to a relationship with the creator.
Now, I’m waiting for the routes to be revealed in September where I will officially apply and begin fundraising for the world race!! Where I will choose to give up a year of my life in pursuit of love, servitude, and all that is good!!!
If you just skipped to the bottom take this away: The truth is, we wait for life to meet us where we are but I have learned it will always be out of reach unless we go after it. So here I am. chasing after the creator of life!!
*I will write an update blog when I apply 🙂
your adventur-er,
El
