“Who are you?”
One of the most seemingly easy questions that turns difficult as soon as you try to think of the right words. I am a woman, a brunette, and a brown-eyed girl with an athletic build… there’s the physical.
But how do I identify myself- what makes me different from every other person who fits that description? I am a daughter, a sister, and a friend… there’s the relational.
But who am I, outside of what I look like or how I relate to others? What makes me special? Here’s who I am: I am a daughter of God, a co-heir with Christ, a princess who has access to the same power that raised Christ from the dead.
What am I NOT? I am not a World Racer. But I am also not a “normal” person who is resuming “normal” life.
Yes, I have done the World Race. I completed an 11-month adventure with the Lord, traveling to 11 (now 13 including Lesotho and El Salvador) countries to tell others about Jesus and to share His love with everyone I encountered. It is something I have done, not because I am inherently a missionary, but rather because I am a daughter of the King of Kings.
Does that make me different? Well, my life choice might look different from most others’ decisions, but it doesn’t make me different. The power I utilize when I proclaim Jesus’ name to heal, rebuke lies, and to tell news about eternal salvation is a power that all children of God can access. My mission in 13 different countries was no more important than others’ missions in their workplace, in their school, or when working out in their gym. Living life intentionally and sharing God’s love on a daily basis is not for those special individuals called to a life apart. It is instead a calling upon everyone who calls God their Father and Jesus Christ their Savior.
The scary thing is: now my World Race is done. But my mission is not even close to over- that ends the day that I stop breathing. Now, I am faced with brand new challenges; they’re just packaged differently (and with a whole lot more AC). But I still am called to love with Christ’s love, I am still on a wild adventure with Christ that takes me to new places and introduces me to new people, and I do not want to treat these past 11 months as a “phase” that is over and now replaced by “normal” life once more. I’ll be honest- it’s super tempting to do that.
I am a child of the one true God. I am a Christ-follower. I am a warrior and co-heir with Christ who wields the same power that resurrected Christ from the dead. And all of those things were true about me before I left for the World Race- it just took me 11 months of crazy God encounters and being wrecked for me to fully realize the weighty implications carried by that AMAZING identity.
I am a woman that went on a mission to spread Christ’s love to the far reaches of the world, and now I am a jobless 22 (almost 23) year-old living in my parents’ home. I am no different from anyone reading this blog. Do not limit yourself; God certainly doesn’t limit you. He knows that you are capable of much through Him- recognize your incredible potential with the Creator of the universe on your side and embrace the power that resides within you. Don’t settle for “normal.” It can be so tempting to stay comfortable, but it is so much more rewarding to let God take you deeper into Him and the life that He has for you specifically.
Ask God to take you on His unique and wild adventure that will leave you speechless, dumb-founded, and forever changed. I promise that you won’t regret it.
