I read recently that the ancient Celtic Christians had a name for the Holy Spirit that is unlike anything I’ve ever heard before. They referred to it as the Wild Goose. A wild goose is just that. Wild. We don’t typically think of our bible characters as wild, but these early Christians seemed to understand the Holy Spirit a little more than a lot of us do.
See, we like to view the Holy Spirit as a gentle or peaceful breeze flowing through our lives. And don’t get me wrong, it can be that comfort or peace for anyone who needs it, but it is also wild. We seem to forget that. We like to tame the Holy Spirit because then we are the ones in control, but it won’t let us tame it. The true power of the Holy Spirit scares us, but it also brings us life because there is no life away from the Goose.
Do you feel this image stirring something within you? This is what it has stirred in me.
Ever since I was a boy I have wanted to be a part of a great adventure. I was stirred by all of my favorite heroes testing their hearts and going out into the unknown. They were brave and daring, and I wanted to live that life.
Unfortunately, the idea that my faith and walk with Christ were exactly that kind of adventure didn’t dawn on me until I was in my last year of college. Growing up in a loving, Christian home, I was taught all about the love and grace of the Father. But almost like a right of passage, I joined the many other adolescents who distanced themselves from their faith with the idea that it just wasn’t real life, and I wanted to experience the real world.
This attitude lasted until late college. I had distanced myself so far from my faith I was sincerely lost and didn’t even know it. I wasn’t trying to experience real life; I was running from it.
The bubble I had created for myself began to fall away when I was asked to volunteer at a methodist camp for a week long senior high camp. That week turned me upside down. It showed me the unconditional love from the Father I had never experienced before. The recklessness of Jesus was revealed to me, and the wildness of the Holy Spirit began to move in me. I decided then I wanted to be a part of this story, and I began seeking God’s will for me.
As I began to ask myself, “What part do I get to play in this larger story,” I started getting answers. International mission work has been on my heart for a while, and I felt the subtle stirrings of the Holy Spirit beckoning me onwards even though I didn’t know what path to take.
But now, I am so excited to say that I have been accepted to join many other racers as we go out into the world in August 2018 and spread the Father’s love. The World Race is an 11-month mission trip to 11 different countries where I, along with many other racers, will be spending a month in each country. Currently my route is as follows:
Haiti -> Dominican Republic -> South Africa -> Botswana -> Zambia -> India -> Nepal -> Romania -> Albania -> Bulgaria -> Serbia
But it is subject to change.
My greatest challenge now, however, is raising support, and I cannot do it alone. That’s why I need your help. Donations can be made by clicking the “donate” button at the top of my page, and if you don’t feel like the Lord is leading you to give monetarily then I encourage you to simply follow my blog and support me through prayer. This is what I need above all else.
If you have any questions or would just like to hear more about the race and what I’m doing then feel free to contact me on Facebook or Instagram. I look forward to seeing what the Father has planned for me during this next season of life, and I would love for you to be a part of this journey as well.
As for now, I’m ready to begin this Wild Goose chase.
“And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” – Matthew 28:20
“They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.” – Acts 2:42
