In 1920, the great American poet Robert Frost wrote, “Two roads diverged in a wood, and I — I took the one less traveled by, and that has made all the difference.”
Here I am; I am about to embark on a new, wild and incredible life adventure in Christ. I am about to take the road less traveled. As I spread the news to the persons I encounter, new and old, I am consistently asked the following question: “Aren’t you so excited?” To be honest, even though I’ve been asked nearly a hundred times, it still catches me off guard each time. Of course I’m excited. However, it’s not so simple. There is such an array and multitude feelings in comparison to “excitement.” I believe many are uneducated of the true meaning of this journey, in which it is perceived that The World Race is a spiritual and physical vacation that only consists of capturing photographs of God’s glorious creation, holding adorable orphans and riding elephants.
When I think about the race, I let my mind wander to a fond memory from this past summer: Smith Mountain Lake, VA. I traveled there with my roommate and her family to celebrate Memorial Day at her Aunt’s lake house. As quickly as we arrived, we were introduced to new friends, hopped on jet skis and went flying across the lake. Our destination was the notorious rope swing: tarnished with time, hundreds of hands and timeless memories. As we approached the cliff, I noticed the old, worn, thick rope tied to a leaning tree. I couldn’t help but honestly wonder how it got such an enjoyable reputation. Everyone immediately jumped off the jet skis into the water and swam over to the rocky cliff. The first treacherous part was climbing up the side of the cliff with mud beneath our wet feet. Then the rope itself was an all new challenge. I watched nervously as my friends, new and old, jumped flawlessly, knowledgeable of some method behind not dying unknown to me. Alas, my turn. I caught the rope, stared down at the water and began to plan my first jump. I don’t generally shy away from adrenaline rushing activities but for whatever reason, that moment was different. Suddenly, I was overwhelmed with a range of emotions. Excitement, terror, adrenaline, weakness, inadequacy all came over me as I considered my lack of strength and the potential failure of releasing the rope too soon, which would lead to tumbling down the cliff into the big rocks below. While completely stiff and numb to that moment in existence, I heard encouragement from the water: “Just jump. Everything will be fine. You can do it!”
I cannot think of a better memory to describe the feelings I have about The World Race: excitement, terror, adrenaline, weakness, inadequacy. Thoughts of uncertainty constantly bombard my mind: “Am I good enough? I definitely don’t have what it takes mentally, spiritually, or emotionally. Am I going to make an impact on anyone’s life? What if the money doesn’t come through?” Without even stepping foot on the mission, the mental battle is exhausting.
Now, you’re probably wondering about the rope swing. I eventually jumped, hit the water, hurt my head, and climbed right back up that muddy cliff to jump once again. The moral of the story is that I took the leap of faith and everything was fine. I trust that the final chapter of my story in The World Race will have a similar ending: Everything will be just fine.
How do I believe this to be true? As I encounter and overcome every emotion The World Race bestows on me, my Savior is leading me down the road less traveled. And that, that my friends, has made all the difference.
