So again, after almost flippantly applying for the world race about 2 months ago, I began to ask God for signs. He gave me one almost immediately after applying when a series of events lead me to randomly read a girl’s blog who is on the WR now. Her last name happened to be Rainbow! After talking it out with friends and family, I felt the need for everybody to be in agreement with whatever decision I made. I prayed that God would let it be smooth sailing, although understandably the whole crazy thing will take some effort for sure. I just knew in my own mind that everything with my apartment lease and living situation and work would work out so that I wouldn’t be able to go, or it would be too much of a headache to leave for a year, for everybody concerned. Little did I know that God has it all worked out.
The first step was to talk to my roommate…although slightly concerned that I was rushing into it, she knew that God would show me what I needed for me to know what I should do. I thank God for her understanding spirit about this. The next step was to call the landlord. “oh, well a 6th month lease would be too long, why don’t we let Genae just rent month by month and keep the price the same, that way she can leave for the trip whenever she needs to without it messing her up.” Okay God, I think I’m getting it. So then, I spring this wacky idea on my family. Again, although nervous about all the factors involved, as any parent would be, my family fully supports any decision I make when it’s directed by God.
But……..after all of these things God lined up so I would understand it’s His plan for my life, I still doubted. I asked my boyfriend at the time what he thought? “Go,” he said. He supports me fully and again I’m blessed by all the people in my life. A month or so goes by and I’m accepted for the trip, get a little overwhelmed with all that is involved in preparing for it, and decide in my mind that I’m gonna keep the idea open, but I’m probably not going. There’s too much here for me (obligations? home, family, boyfriend….”oh yeah, they are all okay with this,” I think to myself). Again, little did I know that this weekend God would show me once again that He wants me to go.
Thursday night Anna, Byron and I were sitting around talking about the WR. After I had just briefly talked to Halley Power and she said I should consider it because it’s worth it, I told them that I needed a sign. I’m dumb and can’t understand God unless He slaps me in the face with it. I said “I want God to strike a lightning bolt close to me (but not too close) just close enough for me to see it and know it’s a sign.” By the way, I’ve never ever been close to a lightning bolt striking anything. I figured this was beyond my realm of possibility..this can’t happen to me unless it’s God. We left for the beach Friday………. Lightning the whole weekend…I couldn’t get away from it! It seemed to be everywhere! No bolts yet. It was sunny most of the day Sat. so I figured God was saying nope and no more lightning. Sat. night on the way home, beautiful lightning above the clouds! I still told myself nope, no bolts yet. Sunday, pretty sunny day. The background of the first song we sang at church was a video of a lightning bolt striking. Yep, there it was. Not like I expected, but there it was. Anna had even said, “God will show you by Sunday” Still doubting though. After that we went to the lake and had to come in early because of all the lightning around. Dangerous they say, I was thinking I wanted to see my lightning bolt.
Then finally again today after much debate with myself… I came home and thought “maybe this is what I should do. 11 countries in 11 months.” I get on facebook to pass the time. A friend’s status-a song lyric about lightning. OKAY. I am going to go. I finally decide that I will tell Anna that I’m going, so I text her. Anna, I feel like there have been too many lightning bolts in my life to not go. “I feel like this is a test of faith and obedience” and I have to go. As soon as the words were said, a picture of a rainbow was the next picture I came to on a girl’s facebook page I had never looked at. So, I want to send Anna a picture of the rainbow, I get my phone out to take a picture of the computer screen……….the last picture I took with my phone shows up. Which I had taken well over a week ago just because I saw it outside my house………..A beautiful white feather.
