This is the first actual blog post I have made in about a month, and quite a bit has happened. This holiday season with my family was a great time together with the people that matter most! This past month will be one that I look back on while on the field and it will make me miss home just that much more.
In this post I want to talk about my feelings leaving. This is all new ground for me. In 12 days I will be getting on a plane and flying away for close to a year. I am stoked beyond measure, and I can’t wait to see what this calling from God will actually look like in practice! I can’t wait! That said, this is still all new ground.
I have never been away from home for more than a few weeks. I have never been away from every member of my extended family for more than a few weeks. I have never been to any of the places I will be going to. These are all new experiences and breed a mix of emotions. Firstly, I am doing this for God and following his vision for my life. That breeds excitement, eagerness and anticipation. I am also starting a season of my life that will not be a short amount of time, and to say it will be different from my norm would be an understatement. To better equate next year to this past one, the similarities will probably be very few and far between. This change does breed excitement, but it also breeds anxiousness.
That said this calling is sanctioned by God and I have spoken with the people around me that I can trust, and whose opinions I value. This is the right thing for me to do and this is the right time to do. God has me, my team, and our mission under his provision. We’ve got this!
Right now I am remembering my first day or so of training camp. I remember going to bed on night one. Then waking up the next morning at 5:30am, in Georgia, in 35º weather, about to pack everything and go for a walk. Remembering that 48 hours before this I was in my warm bed sound asleep on the other side of the country. Needless to say I was unsure about where I was. I remember saying out loud, “What the heck are you doing here!?”. That thought rang out for most of the second day until late afternoon. I spoke with our squad coaches Randy and Dawnette, they said that they would pray for me, and I also found that other people were having similar reservations. Later that night at session we were singing the song No Longer Slaves by Bethel (see video below!). That song mixed with some words from a new great friend Christian set the rest of my reservations out the window.
I’m no longer a slave to fear, I am a child of God!
When your father is the Lord of the creation and he says to do something. One, you better do it. Two, you can have comfort in knowing that he called you here for a very specific purpose. He will not waste that calling. No matter what happens from here on out it is in God’s hands and there is a reason for it that is bigger than me, my squad or even the world race.
I’m sorry this blog ran a bit lengthy, but these are the views of someone about to leave for a year. To summarize, 98% pure joy, 1% pure eagerness and 1% (for lack of a better term) faith filled unrest. And to all future racers reading this, you were called. Rest in that calling! Now everyone watch the video below!!! It will shake you!!!
I love you guys!!!
