You get all sorts of reactions when you tell someone about the Race.
You get the excited one. “Oh I am just so excited for you!”
You get the jealous one. “Oh man, I wish I would have done something like that.”
You get the pessimistic one. “Be careful of terrorists, they are out to get ya.”
You get the optimistic one. “Oh, how much fun! Everything is going to be great!”
You get the rude one. “Ya think you can really do that?”
You get the frustrated American one. “Don’t ya think there’s enough work to do here?”
You get the previous Racer one. “This is about to be the most beautiful and difficult year of your life.”
And then you get the ones who I haven’t quite figured out. Maybe they want to know for genuine reasons. Maybe they are confused. Maybe they don’t get it. Maybe it seems weird to them. Maybe they are excited and they don’t know how to tell me. Maybe they just simply aren’t sure what to say.
They ask me, “Why are you going?”
And I can only answer, “Because I love them.”
Y’all, sometimes I can’t even give you the clearest answer. I just love the world. I love God’s people. I love them. The “them” that God has prepared for me to meet. I just want them to know that God loves them. I love them. We love them. Christians love them. I just want to see their faces. I want to hold them. I want to pray with them. I want to hug them. I want to cry with them. I want to show them God. I want to wash their feet.
I just want to go, because I just love them.
That’s it. I love them.
Because truthfully, love is enough.
Leaving your job, leaving your family, leaving your animals, leaving your comfort, leaving your food, your bed, your clothes, leaving it all—its worth it.
Because Gods love radically changes lives.
I don’t want to go to them and show them the best way Kendra loves.
Because my best is like filthy rags—its nothing.
I want to go and show them the love of Christ.
Oh, that beautiful, piercing love.
That sweet love that:
Redeems
Fulfills
Makes New
Encourages
Speaks Life
Heals
Breaks Chains
Comforts
Gives Peace
Gives Worth
Pardons
Protects
Forgives
Completes
Restores
Challenges
Grows
Gives Hope
That’s why I want to go…. Because I want to show them that kind of love. The love of Christ.
