I will be honest, I am not quite sure where to start. I am new to this whole blogging thing, but I am going to do my best to keep y’all interested!
So I guess the question is, why do I want to go on the World Race? Alright, so I am going to try and tell you without spilling so many details that you and I get lost in a sea of my own inarticulateness (sorry if that is not a word lol).
Passion. That is what my high school basketball coach told us he would bring everyday to practice at the beginning of every season. He has been coaching for over thirty years now, and he has been quite successful. Our program was never just about records and championships, though. That program taught me so much more than just basketball.
I vividly remember the night he talked to us about the importance of finding a passion for something. Our whole team was gathered around a bonfire before the season of my junior year. He told us how important it is to find a passion for something in life and pursue it with your whole heart.
Sitting around that bonfire, I knew it was not basketball (sorry Coach D). I knew I had a passion for God. While I understood that I could pursue Him and glorify Him with the platforms He had already given me, I felt like God was calling me to something more.
I thought back on the journeys that God had brought me through already. During my freshman and sophomore year, God sent me on two mission trips over spring break. While they were not a walk in the park, they were absolutely amazing experiences. I felt so fulfilled and purposeful, more so than I had ever felt on a basketball court.
I believe that was the moment when I knew God was calling me to the World Race. God had opened up a door for me to pursue and glorify Him constantly, wholeheartedly, without interruption. While I could do that on my basketball team, I was not super passionate about the outlet I was pursuing. Through the seasons God had already walked me through, I realized that this is something that gives me joy and fulfillment.
I am not so naive as to assume I will enjoy every minute of this trip. There will be difficult times ahead. I guess I may have experienced glimpses of that on my last two mission trips, if not from everyday life. There are many ups and downs in our walk with Christ, so it is important to learn to rely on God when trials arise in your life. The Lord tells us in James that “the testing of our faith is to produce steadfastness”. I definitely saw growth in my walk with the Lord on the previous mission trips I went on. What did both of those experiences have in common? I had to fully rely on God.
For so many of us, I think we fall into this almost involuntary habit of relying on material, tangible things rather than God. We rely on the blessings rather than the Blesser. I hope on this trip, I can learn to fully rely on God for my needs, my joy, my peace, etc.
