A Call to Trust: The Story of How I Came to the World Race

It was a normal work day. I was driving my little red car to the job that I had held for a year, stopped at a traffic light. As I looked around the intersection, I was struck with an impression.
 
“You’re not trusting Me”
 
Um. Excuse me? What was that!?
 
“You’re not trusting Me”
 
The light turned green and I continued to drive. I pulled into the parking lot of my work and turned off my car. I sat there in silence. I began to pray. “Lord, is that you? What do you mean?” For a third time I felt, “You’re not trusting Me.” I was moved to tears and knew that something was happening in my heart. I knew that I had not been trusting my Father.
 
The past year had been difficult. Many changes and transitions. A new job, friends moving, a relationship ended, a move to live on my own, walking next to my best friends through loss.

I had responded to all of these things by building safety walls and by living a secluded life in my little condo. I had adopted a false sense of security. I took care of myself. My reaction to the experience of loss and sadness was a lack of trust in my Father. I had started seeping further into this routine, forgetting about the only One who is truly trustworthy and provides true security.
 
And then I was called to trust.
 
As I prayed about what I sensed in the car that day, I felt like I was supposed to quit my job. What? Was I really supposed to give that up? I tend to get restless after about a year in a job, which is not a good habit. But this was different.
 
I looked for jobs, but nothing came up. A few months after that day in the car, I knew that it was time to quit my job. I’m not sure why I felt like my job was preventing me from trust, but it was. I had to let go to receive the gifts that the Lord had for me, whatever they may be. I had to trust him. I wanted to start living a life of trust again.
 
So I quit.
 
I went home to Virginia for a month to pray. The first two weeks were hard. The reality of quitting and having no income hit me hard and I began to doubt and get discouraged. 
 
What had I done?!
 
I was writing on a Sunday afternoon and begged God for a breakthrough. I asked him to move in my life. I wrote that I trust him. That night my parent’s pastor prayed for a breakthrough.
 
The next day I was having lunch with my dad. He asked me what I wanted in life and what I thought that the Lord wanted for me in this time. Just a simple question.
 
Immediately the World Race came to my mind.
 
This was strange because I had not really thought of the Race since quitting my job. During my time looking for work I felt the Lord giving me a desire to do missions. I have always loved travel and people. I love the idea of getting to travel and serve people in different cultures.
 
I had heard a little bit about the World Race through a few friends from different circles. And I had run into a guy at REI who was telling everyone about his mission (hello, REI guy now on the field, if you’re reading this).
 
And so I researched and felt led to take a step toward pursuing this.
 
I applied.
 
The next week was a fury of emotions.

I was so excited: “I can’t wait to travel and love these people all over the world!”

Then I was petrified. “I can’t live out of a backpack and leave everything familiar for a year!”

Soon after, overwhelmed: “How does anyone raise $15,500?!”

And then I started to watch the videos on the WR website. I could not look at the images of these people all over the world without crying. The reality of the need and lack of love in these places overtook my heart. I wanted to be a part of the lives of the faces that I saw on my computer. What could be better than serving my Lord this next year by loving these dear people?
 
I waited.
 
In the midst of waiting, a friend of my parents prayed for me. He said that he believed that the Lord gave him a picture of me being all dressed in black with a veil over my face, in a state of mourning. He prayed and said that he believed that my Father was lifting that veil and the covering of sadness. The Lord was bringing me into a new season of joy and freedom and trust.