Today I was utterly ruined on my way to work.
I sat in my car driving along just allowing my mind to be consumed with worry and frustration. Worry is not an emotion or feeling that I have felt in a long time. I'm pretty easy going. Pretty laid back for the most part. Pretty care free. But today it was different.
It was like the fortress of my mind was being attacked from all sides and I was to weak to stand my ground.
God was so gracious and beautifully patient with me through the whole conversation. I was basically laying it all out on the table and I wasn't holding back one bit! After I had laid bare my heart I just kept asking God….WHY?
I was literally yelling….WHY?
WHY….did you call me to a strange city?
WHY….did you call me to the World Race?
WHY….
WHY….
WHY….
After all my rantings and ravings, finally I had nothing left to say so just I shut my mouth as I rolled to a stop at a red light. I closed my eyes and rested my head on the wheel. Then I heard His voice….
"Marie….look up."
I sighed heavily and slowly lifted my head. When I opened my eyes I saw a woman standing right outside my window. She was disheveled, ragged, with tired and sunken eyes…but past all of that she was beautiful. Immediately I snapped out of my self pity party and my heart was filled with absolute love. I wanted to give her everything I had and more. It was as if all my own issues just kind of melted right from my brain and was replaced with a desire to give all that I had and more just so this one woman could experience a moment of worthiness, love, and acceptance.
Without hesitation I emptied my pockets and rolled down my window and as she put out her hand to take it I grabbed her hand and looked her in the eye and said, "I'm giving you all that I have because you are worth it."
Tears welled up in her eyes as the car behind me honked and I realized the light had turned green. So I put the money in her hand and drove off.
As I drove off I couldn't wipe the smile off my face and then I heard God say, "Marie I know this year has not been the easiest year and it doesn't all make sense but….Did you learn to love?"
As I thought about the last year of my life I realized that with all that I had left behind and given up….He had emptied me….emptied me of every distraction, every idol, and every normal thing in my life giving me room to take my eyes off of myself and allowing me to see others as He sees them. This past year He taught me to love others….and this next year the lesson will continue.
During the World Race I will have an opportunity to conintue to learn to love others in a whole new way. I will be traveling with over eighty amazingly awesome people (of which most of them I have not yet met but I love them already!) who I will learn to live with and minister with. God will teach me to learn to love them and for them to love me through every circumstance. And of course He will teach all of us how to love all of the people across the world that we will come in contact with…..AND I CAN'T WAIT!!!!!!!
Love is what it's all about! It's all that matters! One of my favorite passages is I Corinthians 13…also known as the love chapter. Most people read it and think its cheesy and corny but its actually pretty hardcore! The whole chapter starts out by saying if we don't love then we are just an annoying noise, we are nothing, and we will gain nothing. So right off the bat we see that love is extremely important!
Today I was utterly ruined on my way to work. God used a homeless woman to wake me up and remind me that love is what its all about! God's got the rest!
This song sums it all up (and has some amazing guitar and harmonies as well):
You don't measure me like man may see
You're looking at my heart, the core of me
Your eyes of fire see differently
Keep me in the gaze of love
The measure of a man is the measure of his heart
The measure of a man is the measure of his love
When it's all been said, when it's all been done
When the race is run, well it all comes down to love
Did you learn to love? That's what You will ask of me
Did you learn to love? Not about my ministry
Did you learn to love? Not about my money
Did you learn to love?
Love you all!
Ou(R) Squad let's do this! Let's love 'em all! And let's love 'em together! 
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If you feel lead to donate to my World Race (11 months in 11 countries bringing the love of God to all we come in contact with) You have no idea what it would mean to me! My goal is to be completely funded by the time I leave in July 2013. I need to raise $15,500. I have raised a little bit through support and worked hard to raise most of what I have. It will take a complete miracle for this to happen! Lucky for me I serve a God who does miracles and loves to give to His children. I need your help! Be a part of the miracle! Lives will be changed for the good on this trip (mine included 
) and although you may not be able to physically go you can be a part through your giving! If you want to check out exactly what I'm doing go to www.thworldrace.org. Then once you realize how amazing this cause is you can come back to my blog: marieolson.theworldrace.org and click on the SUPPORT ME (DONATE) link on the left side of your screen. All donations are tax deductible. Then you can subscribe to my blog and recieve updates on the many miracles, salvations, and lives changed that you have helped make possible through your giving!
Love you all!
Joyfully,
Marie Olson
