When I first heard about the World Race a little more than a year ago, I instantly fell in love with the idea. I wanted to go. I knew at the time that God was telling me not to go, at least not yet. So I kept it in the back of my mind but didn’t think much about it. I knew that God had things here at home that needed to be attended to first, I had some relationships here that needed healing, I needed to grow more spiritually, and I needed to finish my degree.
Having patience was not easy, especially when I knew that what I was waiting for was something to further the Kingdom. I knew that the World Race would be an amazing time of growth for me personally and a unique opportunity to live out the love of Jesus in a practical and meaningful way. Every time I would start to feel myself getting impatient and wondering why I was sitting around doing the same old everyday stuff, God would gently remind me He is in control and that’s a good thing. I found myself often reminded of these verses and the promises God gives.
Ecclesiastes 3:1-8
There is a time for everything,
and a season for every activity under the heavens:
a time to be born and a time to die,
a time to plant and a time to uproot,
a time to kill and a time to heal,
a time to tear down and a time to build,
a time to weep and a time to laugh,
a time to mourn and a time to dance,
a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them,
a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing,
a time to search and a time to give up,
a time to keep and a time to throw away,
a time to tear and a time to mend,
a time to be silent and a time to speak,
a time to love and a time to hate,
a time for war and a time for peace.
Jeremiah 29:11
“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”
I was so excited when God finally opened the door for me to go on the World Race. He had been tugging at my heart for more than a year, all the while asking me to be patient and trust him. It was a time of preparation, because the God of the universe, who created all things, loves me passionately and He knows my desires, my hopes, my dreams, and my fears. And He, in His sovereignty, has perfect timing and He has equipped me to be able to handle the joys and trials that I will face over the next two years in my preparation for and time on the race, as long as I continue to trust and rely on Him.
