As a child, I’d always loved the idea of the simple life: university, a good job, a nice family, basically everything minus the white picket fence. I’d never wanted to travel because who would ever want to leave home and I’d pretty much had my life planned to the very last detail. I was so set on this that anything that threatened to jeopardize this plan was my worst nightmare.
When I was about 9 years old, I’d spent my day sick at home watching home renovation shows, taking note of what I might want for my future. I still remember the moment when I thought, “One day, I’m going to Africa and helping people so they can have this perfect life too.” I didn’t realize it then but this was God planting the seed of what was to come. Now it wouldn’t happen exactly this way; first of all because Africa is a whole continent and I can’t help everyone there. But also because my idea of what the perfect life looked like was seriously flawed.
As I grew older life began to change dramatically. I lost a lot of what I had perceived to be the perfect life. I was introduced to new ways of thinking, realizing that others didn’t suffer because they didn’t have a nice enough house, but because their house wasn’t home to the Heavenly Father. I began to live my life fully dependent on God and His plans for me rather than my own. This was probably the most terrifying thing for me, learning to live day by day being fully present in my pursuit of His plan for my life rather than by little Liz’s agenda.
But through all this change I held onto this thought of “helping Africa” and it changed into a great desire to spread God’s love for the world as far as He could take me. While beginning to look at post secondary options shortly after starting secondary school, I looked up gap year mission trips. I searched through so many sites trying to find a program that fit. A little-bit-less-little Liz still had an agenda. And when she stumbled upon the World Race website, she found it. This was another moment where God’s voice said, “this is it,” and there was no going back.
Most of my friends and family know that this has been the plan for a long time now. I had no idea how I was going to pull it off or what it would look like but it was going to happen anyway. A lot of the time I get questions about how long I’ll be gone or how much it will cost and following the answer will be an audible cringe. But this is what God has set on my heart to do and I know that He is able and will make it happen.
Fighting my fear of breaking from my original idea about what my life should look like has already been a huge adventure. As I continue in hot pursuit of His plans for my life, I am sure there will be many losses and victories. But ultimately all that matters is that He’s in control and I will continue to break free from fear’s control on me.
