Matthew 6:31 “Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.”
Who would have known that one spontaneous event after another would leave me staring at myself in an airport mirror – completely surprised by what I saw.
A couple nights ago I found myself in San Francisco, with no place to sleep. My friend and I had failed to make reservations for multiple nights at the hostel, and now it was completely booked. Everything else was too expensive, and our last minute Airbnb reservation was never confirmed. We had to drop the rental car off at the airport at 8pm – so why not go inside and use the wifi to figure everything out?
Well… Turns out I ended up sleeping in an airport – and I didn’t even have a flight booked. Was this legal? The funniest part of this story is, I didn’t care. I wasn’t stressed out, and I actually enjoyed myself. I felt like it was the perfect mix of adventure and spontaneity.
Now, if you knew me before I left for the Race you would have seen my weekly schedule printed out and pasted to my wall. You would have seen the itinerary I made for my vacations, and you would have known just how controlling and micromanaging I was (purposefully and accidentally). Even the word spontaneity stressed me out because I saw it as a mixture of carelessness and disorganization. I prided myself on my structure and ability to plan, definitely not the lack there of.
Yet, today I am driving up the west coast planning my steps as I go. I didn’t even know how long this trip was going to last until a few days ago. I am living day to day without a plan, and guess what? It’s okay. It’s actually more than okay, It’s refreshing.
Yes – I ended up spending one careless unplanned night in an airport, but no harm was done. In fact, I would even argue that it sparked a revelation. This event brought me face to face with a new part of myself. It caused me to see some new growth that definitely was not there before.
The long travel days, sleeping in odd places, and forced flexibility that is inevitably part of the World Race actually paid off. I walked through this unexpected event with a smile on my face, and came out the other end unscathed.
Matthew 6:25-31 “Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. “Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.”
I encourage you to continuously push through uncomfortable situations that you are faced with – you may not see the growth it is building in you in the moment (like I didn’t see my growth while I was on the Race), but it is building you and preparing you for what is ahead of you in this life. I have definitely seen how growth lies outside of your comfort zone, and what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger.
I pray that as you face the discomfort and struggles ahead, God uses it all to bring forth growth in your life. I pray that He continues to refine both you and I into His beautiful, joyful, and obedient followers. I pray that we are known by our love, and that we choose joy amidst tribulation. Amen.
