My brand-new pack is sitting on the floor, propped up against the front of my couch, where it has been for weeks. Every now and then I open a pocket and peek inside. I ponder how anyone can fit anything in there, then carefully close it and promptly go back to whatever I was doing before, which usually has to do with procrastinating making any decisions about World Race prep whatsoever.
I know I should take the tags off the pack, considering I’ve had it for a couple months now. But I’m scared to, mostly because I don’t quite know what to do with the darn thing. There are so many pockets, and clippy things, and pully adjusty strappy things. I feel like I missed the day in kindergarten when the rest of the world learned how to be outdoorsy and pack eleven months into one bag. I HAVE NO IDEA WHAT I AM DOING.
Standing in the packing accessories aisle at the outdoors or sporting goods store is enough to make me freak out. I feel like there has got to be some sort of magic combination of packing cubes/ stuff sacks/ waterproof stuff sacks/ compression sacks/ waterproof compression sacks, etc, that will make my bag pack perfectly. But nobody, especially not the employees at said store, seem to be able to tell me what that combination is.
This is just one example of the anxieties swarming around my life lately. There have been times in this whole process that I’ve been going about some normal activity, and a wave of fear will come upon me so suddenly and so fierce that it renders me completely motionless. I have literally been frozen with fear.
See, there’s a long list of things that make me completely unqualified for this trip.
-I’ve never been outside of the state of South Dakota for more than five weeks at a time.
-I’ve never even been camping.
-I like air conditioning, taking showers every day, and clean bathrooms
-I hate bugs, and squatty potties freak me out
That’s just a small sampling.
But
There is one big thing that makes me qualified for this trip:
This is what God is calling me to do. And I firmly believe that when He says He will never leave me nor forsake me, He means business. (And honestly, I’ve got to assume that “never” leave means that He’s with me wherever I go, including that darn packing accessories aisle.)
So take that fear, you’re not allowed at this party. Neither is your friend, doubt.
See that door? It’s about to slam in your face.
BOOM
Joshua 1:9
"Have I not commanded you? Be strong and of good courage; be not frightened, neither be dismayed; for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go."
