I underestimated how rough it was going to be just getting ready to go on the Race. Overwhelming fundraising. Getting to know squad-mates. Intense attacks from Satan. Trying to spend adequate time with family and friends. Logistics for the absentee year. Trying to stay employed. DOUBT. FRUSTRATION. FEAR. UNCERTAINTY. It can all be too much to handle at times.
I committed to the Race about 5 months ago and still have 4 months until Launch. So, right in the middle of the Pre-Race experience, I thought I would share some of the ways I am coping with the stress and exhilaration of preparing for the World Race. What follows is two lists of 11, the first being more important and more serious (and more helpful). The second is some sarcastic solutions that I do not necessarily suggest doing, but I must confess have entered my thoughts in a tongue-in-cheek (where does that expression originate, btw?!) kind of way. 🙂
1) Fundraising Updates: Just do it! On a daily basis, I worry that people are annoyed about how much I talk about the WR or that I am asking for money. A friend told me last week, “Now is the time to be a missionary for your cause.” I am very sorry friends and family, but this is a crazy exciting, once-in-a-lifetime thing that God has called me to. And I desperately love it and desperately need your help! Don’t be afraid to update your FB status, post on Twitter, etc. with how much you’re doing and how much you need. Talk to anyone, everyone, as often as you can. Well-informed people are most likely to invest. Maybe they’ll give you a few bucks to shut up!
1b) You know that mental list of people you could of sworn would give, but haven’t yet. Send them a preeimptive thank you note to get the ball rolling.
2) Make time to consistently read blogs and watch videos from current racers! They are a great encouragement and reminder of what you are preparing for!
2b) After reading a current racers’ blog about long travel days, excessive dirt, or nasty bugs; take a long, warm shower and curl up in your own bed and over-sized comforter. Close your eyes, take a deep breath, and say to yourself, “Ahhh, not yet.” Then nap.
3) Stay up until 3 in the morning on skype getting to know your new squadmates. They are going through the same craziness you are and talking/laughing/brainstorming/dancing with them can help burn some anxiety.
3b) Don’t come into work until 2 in the afternoon, and when your boss gets upset, tell them it is early in the morning in Asia and you have a Race to prep for (or that it is bedtime in Africa and you need to leave soon). (P. S. this idea is too sarcastic for me to do accurate math, but you get the idea)
4) Fail at a fundraiser. That’s right, I am serious. Don’t TRY to fail. But if you don’t have one attempt that doesn’t go quite as well as planned, you probably are not stretching yourself enough. Take some risks.
4b) Rob a bank. Fully. Funded.
5) Pray for your squad mates. One of the biggest dangers for me so far has been getting entirely caught up in myself. There is a peace and a freedom in praying for your Teammates. They are struggling too. You are in community with them (yes, already). Pray for them more than you pray for you.
5b) Walk around with a globe. All day. Every day. It is hard to be stressed when you are being so weird.
6) Whenever you are feeling particularly down, think to yourself, “This time next year, I’ll be in [insert country you’ll serve in that month of your race].” Sometimes I think this 20 times a month, but it always helps.
6b) Practice not showering or brushing your teeth for a week. You will get feedback.
7) Set an alarm on your phone to go off at 11:11 (am, pm, or BOTH). When it happens, drop everything you are doing, and pray for the countries you will be serving in during your 11 months around the world.
7b) Use your ninja skills to set the same alarm on a friend/family members phone without telling them why.
8) Make a playlist of Race-related worship music. Play it whenever you can. And be on the lookout for songs you can add to it.
8b) Include a Weird Al song on said playlist. I dare you not to smile when it Shuffles to the top.
9) Take days off from your preparations; an intentional day void of worrying about money, shots, forms, etc. Keep a Sabbath, they are day dates with Jesus. Read Scripture, fast, pray. Nothing matters more for our preparation than staying in love with Him.
9b) Take a day and skip everywhere you go.
10) Serve NOW! I know this is a scandalous thought, but maybe God has a ministry, place of service for you TODAY! Live your life now. God has you in it for a reason.
10b) When you get your pack, decorate it with exotic colors/patterned Duct Tape. It’ll make it easier to spot at airports!
11) Drop your expectations. We are so obsessed with being in the know. Feel the freedom of letting go of your pre-race health issues, understanding on how and when the $$ is gonna show up, comparing yourself to squadmates and wondering if you measure up in various ways, etc. etc. The more we can’t figure out, the more necessary God is. And when it comes to the World Race, nothing is predictable. Worst case scenario, God will take you through all this struggling and through 11 difficult months on the Race. If anything doesn’t work out, it is not the end of the world, God just has something better than the Race planned for you. If the Race is where you are supposed to be, nothing will keep you from it.
11b) Release your stress by sharing some “sarcastic” thoughts with a loving, understanding group who can relate to what you are going through 🙂
