I think one of the hardest things about being on the race for 11 months will be… missing all the amazing UFC fights. I don't know how you feel about UFC (MMA) but I love it. That is why I can't stand watching the highlights of a fight. With any other sport I'm fine with watching highlights (in fact I usually wait till the game is over so I can just figure out who won), but not with the UFC. I like to see every minute of every round. I like to see the fighters gasping for breath in between rounds and to hear their pep-talks by their trainers. But sadly, I had to succumb to my only choice and finally watch the highlights of the recent Lightweight championship fight. I got to see the highest point of action in every round, but what I missed were moments where the fighters were thinking, strategizing, feeling out the other fighter. I missed the moments where the fight was against the cage and the fighters were trying to tire out the other fighter. These moments might seem "boring" to most of the viewers, but if you really know MMA you know that in these moments the fights are defined.
When we read the Bible we tend to make the mistake that back in the day, things were crazy.. all the time. We think that action was at it's highest in every moment when it came to life with God, but that is far from the truth. Many of the biblical heroes we read about lived very, VERY ordinary lives. Some cared for sheep most of the day, some carried out the religious rituals of the Jewish tradition, some fished, some were typical students, and some were carpenters. We forget that the stories of the Bible were for the most part really cool highlight reels. Most of the time things were very mundane, redundant and ordinary. Then sometimes God showed up in big ways. But what does that say about our lives? If we can expect more redundancy then huge spectacular God moments, then how should we live? I think Jesus showed us a whole lot about life in this way when he lived. For 30 years he lived a very normal life from what we know. But he lived them with the full awareness that God was with Him. He always drew on the presence of His Father and found immense Joy in that. Have you ever thought about that? Every moment was a sacred moment for Jesus because He understood the presence of God. And it was from this awareness that he began his 3 years of life-changing ministry.
I came on this race thinking that in Africa I would see some craaazzzyy things. That I would meet some wise old man that would tell me something that blew my mind. Or that I would experience the power of God is some super amazing way. But there hasn't been any of that yet. At all. No real big God moments that have changed my life forever. But God's teaching me something that I would say is more important than all of that. He is showing me that He is still here. That He is still the God of the Bible who can show up in a huge way any second. Some people go on these trips to try and escape their "boring lives" back home, but God is teaching me to refrain myself from falling into that. I think it's because He knows that a long-term life with Him is defined in the mundane moments. Yes I want to experience the love of the Father like never before, yes I want to lay hands and see someone healed, yes I want to experience the power of God that I read about, but I also want God Himself. And I should want that more than anything. And if He's telling me that He wants to be found in the ordinary acts of doing dishes, shoveling dirt or fixing a gate, then I'm going to fight to find Him there. Imagine if we became a people that lived with the fullness of God's presence everyday, in every moment. You don't have to fly across the world for that. There wouldn't be much of a difference between a "missions trip" and a visit to the dentist. That's what I want more than anything from this trip. I want to learn how to live life with God more than about living life for Him. It's when we live with Him first that we can begin to live the most effective lives for Him. It's our attitudes and heart posture in the ordinary moments of life that really determine what the highlight reel will look like. And I want a pretty sweet highlight reel at the end of my time here on earth.
My trip has been amazing so far. Please keep praying for me everyone. If you have a tug in your heart to support me financially please do so. $1,500 away from my next deadline in December. Bless you guys.
Joe
