(Pre-Side/Top Note: So I’ve shared this with some before, but I was asked to type it up so it could be shared with more of you. This is written to those entering their final month on The World Race, but make whatever adjustments necessary. It can apply to all of us, no matter what unknown lies ahead).
I’ve long had a strong stance that the World Race is NOT the “Journey of a Lifetime,” (and thank God, because it’s almost over) but rather part of a “Lifetime of Journey”.
…It just happens to be a pretty cool part.
As you get ready to move onward into your last month, and as you’ve been walking through these last few months, you may have felt the temptations and tugs of home…Or maybe even the fears of home…Or MAYBE you’ve been in a great place. Wherever you may be, there’s no time for shame, and, likewise, no time for pride that you’re still “present”.
Whatever your stance…home, or at least something different is coming… and it’s coming fast.
I’ll spare you some “squeeze the most out of every moment” speech. You know you signed up for 11 months, not 10. I won’t go into the gravity of what it would mean if you wasted 1/11 of your life, and that you’d lose 7 years if you make it to 77.
Ultimately, you will seize what you WANT to seize. No message from a guy you’ve had little to no interaction with is going to change that.
Instead, I believe that it’s in each of you to encourage yourselves and one another in the Lord to finish this season strong… so you can start the next one strong…whatever starting means for you.
Should you CHOOSE to be the kind of man or woman to fight on… to dive in… to chase what this life has to offer with all you have, then it might help if you had some good tools or mindsets to carry..
Obviously you’re called to minister and be present. This is foundational. But that’s not what I’m talking about here. I’m speaking of transitional truth that doesn’t take away from the call of today, but helps prepare you for the call of tomorrow.
Need to take a break?
Still with me?!
Okay…
When you started the World Race, you didn’t know where you were going, or who you were going with. Yeah… you may have known countries and continents, but you didn’t know what parts of the countries.
You may have known who was on your squad, but didn’t know who’d be on your team throughout the year or WHO the people on your first team actually were. Honestly, you may not have even known who YOU were.
Nonetheless, as you prepared for this part of your Journey of Life, you knew that there were certain “non-negotiables” that you wanted to bring. You knew you “probably” wanted underwear and a Bible. Some sort of towel and a toothbrush likely seemed in order. You had other things that you took as a best guess.
Conversely, you knew there were some things you definitely did not want to take into this trip. It’s quite unlikely any of you lugged around a grand piano, a bag full of rolled US coins, or an 8 track player. You knew, no matter what, that those items likely wouldn’t serve your purposes or the Kingdom well.
Another luxury that you had is the knowledge that if you forgot something small or ran out, you’d be able to pick it up, and if you brought something and didn’t need it, you could ditch it.
The same is true of you spiritually as you enter this next season (or any season…ever). Whether you do or don’t know where you’ll go, how long you’ll be there, the spiritual climate of that place, or who’ll you’ll be with, you likely have some non-negotiables that you wanna pack up and take with you.
You likely have some non-negotiables that you want to leave behind.
You’ll want to know you what to clothe yourself with spiritually, and what is unbecoming and burdensome regardless of climate, timing, or people.
Additionally, on a micro level, you have a day pack that you carry with you throughout the day. Lean into the Lord and your teammates to build the practice of how to know what to carry in the day pack. “Lord, what did I carry with me today, that you don’t want me to carry tomorrow? What do I need instead?”
If you make habit of this you might come to realize something like, “I NEVER seem to need this thing in my spiritual day pack ever… Why am I still lugging it around?” Or “I keep seeming to need this thing that I don’t have… Why don’t I try to get that thing?”
Think about the people on your team. Whether you’re mad at them or never wanna be apart, entertain the likely truth that…
You have less than one month left WITH each other.
You have less than one month left to help each other learn to spiritually pack well…from the same room.
You have less than one month left to legitimately invite these people to help you know what to carry and what to leave behind.
You have less than one month left to give them the freedom to (heaven forbid) maybe even be wrong about an assessment they make, so they can feel free to share the tough and needed assessments for a lifetime.
Sure you’ll have each other after this. But…not in the same room. Not forever. You’ve got something in front of you now that few ever have. But what are you going to do with it?
I have a 2 part invitation for you. Take it if you want… Or don’t…Your Call. But I invite each of you to…
- Have a resolve that when you leave each other you can trust, as far as it could have ever depended on your love in this season, that your brothers and sisters have what they need in their pack, and that they know how to pack.
- Have a resolve that you’ll have them help you figure out your spiritual necessities.
There is a small amount of finality to this, but there is no finality to the Lord. He always has more to pack and more to dump. And sometimes He just gives you a bigger pack. As you listen to Him in life, He’ll guide. But, what can happen if we REALLY want that guidance?
This is not about you. This is not about me. This is not some “self-help” thing.
There is Kingdom coming. It’s coming with or without us fully on board, but do you want to bring it? What are you carrying with you? What are you leaving behind?
Everyone dies, you might as well live until then. If you’re living, you’re carrying something, you might as well make it something worth carrying.
Time to pack!
