Ok so the World Race is such a HUGE opportunity that God has been preparing me for. I have spent over a year praying about this, watching videos and reading blogs about other racers journeys. I think in my tiny mind I have set goals for while I am on the trip but I KNOW that Gods plan will prevail and I probably have no idea what my expectations should be. I think I have a mindset where I want certain things to happen but I want God to totally crush my expectations if his plan for me is greater… because come on, it usually is!
I think that my biggest goal is to GO! God created us to be fishers of men!
Matthew 4:19 “Then He said to them,“Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men.”
God gave his son who repeatedly throughout his life, and even after his death, showed us to go out and shine HIS light! I have the chance with this team of amazing people to go out and not only spread his love and truth but to also be a vessel that he uses to reach the lost. I get to actually drop everything and go! Just like in the bible where Jesus told the fishermen.
Matthew 4:20 “They immediately left their nets and followed Him.”
I can’t explain how exciting this is and at the same time how nervous I am. I do not want to get in the way of what God has in store. At no point on this trip do I want to lose sight of how much he has brought me through to be where he wants me. I also need to constantly remember that I have a purpose! This is not just a vacation, or a mission trip, nor is it a chance to make myself look better or feel better about being a good person.
My Goal is to go and grow everyday. I want to use every hurt, every need and every obstacle I come across to let mold, shape, and build me into the person God wants me to become. I want to walk hand in hand with God in a more intimate way than I have ever experienced in my life. I want to wake up praising God and asking him to use me in every way to glorify his name, and then go to bed exhausted with a smile on my face and thank him for using me. I have expectations, but I know HE does too!
Random and in no special order here are some other expectations I have in mind.
To learn how to Love myself in a way that is pleasing to God. I want to honestly make every person I get to speak with know that they matter, that they are important and that they are loved by a God who wants nothing but the best for them. I want to light lanterns in Thailand and ride an elephant. I want to feed the needy. I want to clothe the naked. I want to help those in trouble. I want to be a light in the dark.
Isaiah 58:10
” Feed the hungry,
and help those in trouble.
Then your light will shine out from the darkness,
and the darkness around you will be as bright as noon.”
I want to give hope to the hopeless. I want to help give strength to the weak. I want to make someone smile who can’t find a reason to smile. I want to restore someones faith in the fact that there are still people who are out there and will give up everything just so they can let others know they are loved. I expect to be broken. I expect to be broken more times than I can count! I also expect for God to be there right along with me to help put the pieces back together. I expect to have conflicts and times where we have to agree to disagree with team mates. I also expect to grow closer to those same team mates more than I could ever have imagined and have so many new brothers and sisters for the rest of my life! I expect times to be difficult. I expect to feel like I want to give up but know that God has me there for a reason and I will repeatedly tell myself
Joshua 1:9 “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.”
I expect to get my mind blown. I expect my life to radically change. I expect that I need to expect the unexpected. I expect that Gods plan is going to help so many and that he will use me and this is why I am going on this trip. I expect to try new foods and have to fight fears of spiders, snakes, roaches and anything else that just freaks me out. I expect to fall in love with God in a deeper way than I imagine possible. I expect to go to him for everything because I will be surrounded by others who have nothing. I expect that my expectations may be too small for such a huge opportunity.
I expect that He expects me to be obedient to his call.
