The National Race (1of2)

I was home in Lake Mary (outside of Orlando) for about two
weeks before I started my own National Race (like the World Race, but in
America).  I’ve been visiting
friends and family and praying that God’s change in me would shine through as
we, mainly, talk and eat.

One of my first nights home my dad and I were watching a
rerun of Criminal Minds, my parents’ favorite crime drama, when my mom walked
into the room and started up some conversation about her evening so far and how
the rest of our evening together might go.  I turned to listen to her and before I knew it I was
completely unaware of the TV show. 

I’m not sure that what she was saying was all that
important, but I remember thinking “that show will be on again, and even if it
isn’t I’m more concerned about what she’s saying to me right now, because she’s
a real person and that is just a collection of fictitious characters.”   Just after I thought that thought
it struck me as a new perspective. 
I realized I didn’t used to think that way.  I used to think she could wait until the commercial break to
tell me whatever she had to say, because I was watching TV before she came in.

These are the ways I’ve noticed the change God worked in me
through my World Race experience. 
Something will happen, and I’ll react.  A second later I realize that reaction isn’t what it used to
be and I thank God that His Spirit lives in me to form me continually into a
new creation.

So I took my ever-changing self and started driving around
the country to see some people that mean a lot to me. 

I stopped in Atlanta, where I went to college, to see my
friends and realized God has changed me to where that season of my life is
officially over.  It didn’t feel
bad.

I stopped in Charlotte to see a close friend from the Race
and saw how God is continuing to change that relationship to fit the lives to
which He is calling us post-Race. 
He’s calling us to a lot of things together and apart and He is allowing
us to speak into many of those places for each other.

I stopped in Chicago to see my sister, brother-in-law, and
their beautiful one year-old son. 
I heard how they are working hard to live the life they believe God has
called them to.

I stopped in St. Louis and in Kansas City.  I talked to my aunts, my uncles, and my
cousins.  I heard how God is
faithful in their lives.  I heard how
he is walking them through seasons my family and I have weathered before, but
how he is doing it in completely unique ways.  The Lord always moves, but he never moves the same way
twice.  He’s creating beautiful
things for my extended family.