Are you tired of living a redundant life? Does everything around you leave you feeling empty, superficial, and too complicated? Do you ever think, "I just want to leave"? If you answered yes to any of these questions then you, my friend, may have the gift of restlessness.
I have begun reading the book "Kingdom Journeys: Rediscovering the Lost Spiritual Discipline" by Seth Barnes who is the founder of Adventures in Missions, the company that puts together the World Race. In the book he argues that our society has lost the art of taking physical journeys. No longer do we value leaving the comfort of our routine lives to discover who we really are, but we fantasize about it all the time. Modern literature and movies are full of it. Luke Skywalker, Harry Potter, Adam West, Bilbo Baggins, they all had to leave the comfort of their homes to discover what they were capable of… to find their inner hero.
So why is it that we only fanaticize about these epic journeys? Are we just using these movies as an escape of our restlessness?
"Restlessness is an itch that, if left unscratched, is a curse."
God loves to use physical journeys to connect with us spiritually. Jesus not only told his disciples to abandon their home life to follow Him, but He also sent them out on their own many times during His ministry telling them "Go! I am sending you like lambs amongst wolves." (Luke 10:3) He send them out into foreign lands, into adversity so that they could come back stronger.
This is why I decided to partake in this odyssey. At home I am bound by distractions. My home, friends, internet, the lake, the gym. None of these things are bad, and I give God my attention… but I often times give Him an equal share to these worldly things. Out there we will have no home, no 24/7 internet, no social obligations. The next 11 months are about me and God. A year dedicated to seeking Him around the world. To find His light in the trash dumps of Nicaragua, the slums of India, and the orphanages of Swaziland. To close this chapter of my life in which I have been exploring my faith and start living my faith. To journey along side 45 other young people who all have the same goal, to find our identities and freedom in Christ.
What about you? Have you been feeling a nudge in your spirit lately too? Is something in you saying "it's time to go"?
Lord make our hearts restless until they rest in you.
Let's go.
