God knows that I love to come full circle. While I try not dwell too much on my idea of time and focus more on God's timing, I do love a good circle.
I like to start things at the beginning of the week, the month, the year.
I love it when I discover the ways my life has woven itself together to create some sort of circle…and today was one of those days.
Last March I was sitting in my classroom in Charleston, South Carolina watching my students as they spent hoooouuuurssss PASS testing. When you are not able to answer their questions (for fear of the state department banging down your door and arresting you for cheating), get on your computer (just in case I email answers to my kids' iPhones), or eat (too loud?) one is left with little else to do besides sit at the front of the classroom and read a book. So that's what I did.
As I head up to the front of the classroom, ready to settle in for a long day of reading, the bright orange cover of a book called Radical caught my eye. With nothing better to do I decided to dive in.
I had no idea what I was getting myself into…
I devoured the book – it was a litttttle on the extreme side for my normal, light reading – but it was exactly what I needed to hear.
In this book, David Platt challenges us – the average, American Christian – to take a closer look at what Jesus actually said in the Bible. Jesus said that in order to follow him we would have to abandon our own ideas of what life is supposed to look like.
Our security. Our money. Our conveniences. Even maybe our family.
Yikes.
I had a wake up call that day reading that little orange book. I wanted to live a radical life for Jesus too.
So I started praying…
Within three months of that day I had applied, interviewed, and been accepted to the World Race.
A chance for me to live fully dependent on the Lord, leave my comforts behind, and devote my life to sharing God's love with each and every person I came in contact with (sometimes with words, sometimes not).
The World Race has been incredible. Every single day is a new chance to trust God. Some days are harder than others. Some days it is really tempting to let my thoughts wander to the comforts of home. Some days it is hard to love my teammates. Some days it is hard to even remember why I am here.
Then there is a day like today when God brings everything full circle and it is so clear to me that God brought me right here, right now.
A year ago, March 22, 2012, I was sitting in the front of my classroom in Charleston, SC reading silently to myself about living radically. Hoping one day I would have the courage to allow God to transform my life. That one day I would understand his love enough to trust him enough with every aspect of my life.
Today, March 22, 2013 I was standing at the front of a classroom in Cochabamba, Bolivia speaking to high school students about how God has absolutely transformed my life because of his amazing love. How he loves each and every one of them and has great plans for their lives.
How great is our God? He timed it right down to the day.
Because of God's love
I was able to see myself as courageous enough to quit my job to come on the Race.
Because of God's love
I am able to look into the eyes of teenagers and, with full confidence, tell them that there is hope.
Because of God's love
I can wake up every morning knowing that the brokenness of this world is not too much for Him to overcome.
"In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world." John 16:33
I am really thankful that this is my life.
thank you all for your love and support this past year
