Please don’t take this the wrong way. I’m not already regretting my choice to go on the World Race on the second full day of unofficial ministry.
So what am I feeling? Some confusion and a slight lack of control. Why am I feeling that way? Because without meaning to, I put expectations on my World Race.
Don’t get me wrong, this month’s living conditions are amazing and the ministry opportunities are full of potential. But in a strange way, I guess I expected both less…and more.
Instead of Western toliets and beds, I was expecting squatty-pottys and tents. Instead of tables and silverware, I was expecting to eat with my hands off a family-style dish while sitting on the ground. Instead of staying with just my team in one location, I live with 5 teams total and we’re going to be doing ministry with another team. Instead of serving and blessing our ministry hosts, the culture here seems to insist that we’re their guests and they want to serve us. Since ministry doesn’t officially start until Monday Aug. 15th for us, we’re hoping that we can learn more about what they expect of us and we can explain how we’re here to partner with them in whatever way they want their ministry to grow.
As of today (Aug. 12th) we have no schedules, but we’re expected to be Church-appropriate ready in 5 mins. We try to flush sparingly, but the water for the toliets has stopped working twice already in the past 48 hours. I expected bucket showers, which we got, but I find myself missing Western showers and Wifi.
I know all of this is what I signed up for when I got accepted to the World Race, to expect the unexpected and to be flexible, but sometimes expectations creep in when you least expect it and it once again again has to be surrendered to the Lord. For only He is truly in control and truly knows what’s going on at all times. And that’s okay.
It’s actually a relief that the God of the universe has got this all under control and it’s not up to me to know everything or fix everything. If it was, the world would be much worse off because I am not sovereign, all-powerful, and all-knowing. But God is. And that definitely makes Him worth following.
Is there anything that you have expectations for that need to be surrendered up to God? Go and take a minute to pray about some things that are out of your control in your life that you can give up to God.
Jesus said, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” Matthew 11:28-30 (NIV)
