“Why are you going on the race?”
This question was asked of me within minutes of arriving to training.
“To bring God glory.”
I responded with the response I had become accustomed to giving, but this time my tone of voice, my heart behind the response, threw me off. It was almost as if I had written, “Love ya lots” in someone’s yearbook. Close friends receive detailed responses, an inside joke, and some unusual doodle. The people you will never remember receive the “love ya lots” with a halfhearted signature. It was as if I had written-off the idea of how much God could be glorified in this year.
The week went on, and I couldn’t get that tone in my voice out of my head. I had become dead to the one thing that brought me life. I tried to justify my response telling myself it had to do with the moment. That I was distracted, that I was tired, that I didn’t want to take up this person’s time, but no real justification came.
In that moment I had brought out a realization of how much my heart had bought into the “love ya lots” syndrome. I could add on the “see ya next year,” or “write me”, but there was no inside jokes or doodles. In the anticipation that was building up in the weeks prior to training camp I had finally met the point of arrival, and I was a kid on his first day of school. Wondering if I had bought the right colored pencils, if the other kids would like me, and what would be for lunch.
It is these moments that are my greatest fears of this year. That I would become so entranced by the shear adventure that is the World Race; that I forget the amazing opportunity that is to glorify God amongst the nations.
Yet, I do not embark on this alone! In a single week I have added some 70 (ish) sisters and brothers to my family! A Family that will make sure I am writing a book to God rather than “love ya lots”. A family that will encourage, challenge, and strengthen each member, so that the family as a whole is bringing glory to God.
So, allow me dear friend, to answer your question again:
I am going on the race, because WE GET TO GLORIFY GOD!!
P.S.
I have more than 400 words to say about training! More to come soon…
