We did the thing. When you are around people for a while you start to pick up their lingo/sayings. We did the thing, is one of those phrases and I don’t know how else to describe my feelings on the past month. After hearing about the world race 7 years ago and mentally committing to it sophomore year of college it still feels surreal that we are doing the thing. I say “we” because I am not, and could not do this alone. Without the support of my team, squad, leadership, you all, and the direction of the Holy Spirit this would be literally impossible.
All of this support has lit such a fire inside of me that gives me the desire to just go out and keep doing God’s work. However, this can make it difficult to experience something else God has designed for us, and that is the concept of rest. If you are constantly running on empty how can you perform to the best of you ability? God modeled this for us for the get go.
Thus the heavens and the earth were completed in all their vast array. By the seventh day God had finished the work he had been doing; so on the seventh day he rested from all his work. Then God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it he rested from all the work of creating that he had done. Genesis 2:1-3
God rested on the seventh day. God showed us rest because He wanted us to know it was ok to do so ourselves. These last 4 1/2 days have been incredible. Periodically throughout the race we have 4-5 day debriefs. These are designed for leadership to see how things are going but also for us to revitalize and rejuvenate our spirits through resting. These past four days we have had some great sessions and I have been able to experience so much rest through learning more about who God is calling me to be through 1 on 1 conversations with leadership, playing games, catching up with my squadmates who are on other teams, and watching some Star Wars.
Tomorrow we leave for month two in Romania. It’s crazy to me how much God has already taught me in month one about who I truly am in Him. I am His son and I have no place being stuck into a box that others have put me in or that I have put myself in for these last 22 years. God loves us wherever in life we may be, but He loves us too much to let us stay there. I have already learned how much fear has shaped me into being someone I’m not and I am so excited to see where God will take me as this fear continues to be stripped away. The more time I have spent seeking God and who I am in Him the more successful I have been in not only discerning His voice and what He is telling me, but also actually taking action in what He is telling me.
Tonight we had a more emotional night as a team in our final meeting where people could come up to the front and say something God was laying on their heart. I went up the first time to challenge give a challenge to the squad. We all have those parts in our lives where we are tempted to think back upon and say, “my life would be so much better if that never happened,” but I wanted them to say thank you God for those hard parts because in reality those events are what brought us all to this point in our lives, on the world race, with this team, at this moment, doing the thing.
After I little bit I went up a second time and did something I never thought in a million years I would do. I had felt God calling me to go up to the front and say “We should have a group hug.” Nope, that is not a typo, that actually happened. I knew it was God’s voice in my head because it certainly was not mine.
I’m learning how to be ok with physical touch. I’m learning how to dance. I actually felt at peace speaking in front of a crowd. It’s crazy. I’m only a month in and I am already being transformed into someone I would not recognize less than 30 days ago. I was hoping this would happen on this trip but I didn’t think it’d happen this quickly.
Thank you to Aunt Sam (Sandra Anthony) for sponsoring two of these great days of rest and reflection November 4th and 6th. Also, thank you all for your comments and reaching out! Though I don’t always have time to reach out and respond to the comments, they mean more than you know.
Stay tuned for more updates and if you have interest in sponsoring a day yourself that would be greatly appreciated as I still have a decent amount to fundraise. On whatever days are sponsored I will write a blog about that day so whoever sponsored that day will know how their partnership with me has helped fund my ability to serve God here impact the community I’m a part of on that date. I will try my best to post it soon after the day occurs. The average cost of this trip breaks down to equaling about $50 a day. If you would like to partner with me through donation and sponsor a day by submitting a $50 donation, you can do so by donating here on this blog and then click on this link
https://www.timetosignup.com/jonathansworldrace/sheet/70611/
and choose the day you’d like to sponsor. If you have already donated and never picked a day(s) feel free to add yourself into the calendar as well! If you are having an issue with the website please reach out to my dad (John Anthony) for help.
