This is day 7 for me here in southern Spain. This term here at G42 has already begun, yet our classes only start tomorrow. Out of the 7 interns that will make up the “class”, 6 are former World Racers. I see the beauty in this community that we will be living as for the next 3 months. (for the January to March term there is a potentially much larger community size) When I speak of us being former WR’s I say that out of love. Even though we span 3 WR squads, we all have so much in common. Right now, you may be thinking: they’ve done the 11 countries in 11 months trip, they are all know everything there is to know about traveling, they all have seen crazy miracles, and they are these crazy adventurers who are looking for the next big thing. Ok, maybe it’s an exageration, but you get my point.
The things we have in common are much deeper than the pages on our passports or what our photo collection shows. It goes right down to the roots of each and everyone of us. Our hearts! the World Race journey did something inside us. Something so huge and undeniable. We enter each new with a whole new perspective of life as we know it. We have a sense of purpose. A deep knowing of who we are. We are able to do things most only dream of and don’t know where to start. We walk to a new tune of understanding of the world around us.
The World Race journey has taken us ordinary, comfortable, young church goers to place of wonder and adventure as we realize we have entered the kingdom that Jesus talks about once we look beyond ourselves. Our prayers of finding purpose have been answered as people are encouraged when we walk into remote African villages. Our cries to be known have been answered as we see the sick healed in S.E. Asia. Our hunger to know more has been been satisfied as we learn from the selfless national evangelists in the Delhi slums. We have come to this point because we realize this life isn’t about us! This life isn’t about giving up and just making it through life unscathed. We have realized that we are meant to be free from sin and death. We are created to live purposefully. We are called to stand up and hold firm in the Lord’s ways. This can only happen through risking everything we are and have so that the one beside us who is hurting can feel the love of Jesus.
We look at our world in a whole new way. We don’t see injustice and chaos….we see opportunity to bring God’s Kingdom! The world is a dangerous and crazy place, we realize that and accept that…..so now what?! We understand that WE must be the world changers. We see a reason to live and share Christ with the nations. We see that there IS hope! We don’t just feel sorry for the widow and the orphan anymore…we reach out our hands to them. We don’t ignore the beggar or the lame as we walk by, we smile and say hello! We don’t think through all the pros and cons to decisions anymore…..we listen to the spirit with us and learn to walk in obedience to what it’s saying. We detest these injustices more than before, but we use that as a motive to seek justice out!
We’ve all had an awakening in our lives. Whether we go back to where we’ve come from or follow that call to new places, we still walk in confidence that we’re making an eternal difference wherever we go. We know it is US that the Lord is using to bring his Kingdom here on earth. Proactively we live in the moment. Jesus said “go and make disciples” so that’s what we are doing. It’s not about legalisms and 3 point programs of “how to” anymore. It’s grassroots LOVE as Jesus demonstrated time and time again! Jesus didn’t seek out the sick and weary…they sought him out. When we walk places, people seek us out. They know there is something different about us. That’s the Kingdom…setting the captives FREE!
The only way anyone of us will ever be able to set the captives free is to be set free ourselves. We have to know that Jesus Christ has paid the price for our us. He has set us free from the holds of death in our lives. We just have to step out and believe that for once and trust him. And then move on…it’s done, over with. Get over the past! Get over ourselves. And yes it’s challenging, but all Jesus is saying is “get up and go!” The Race has shown us that we need to keep moving forward. We need to stop comparing to others and especially worrying how to get to the destination. We learn to live in the moment, take leaps of faith, and don’t be afraid to fail.
So this is my community these next 3 months. People that have gone through this transformational process who understand what it means to put others first. I’m so excited to be called here by the Father to have these wonderful friends to walk alongside me. We’ve come from all sorts of backgrounds, yet now we are all moving forward together….as ONE! We are here to minister to each other as well as with each other. We are here to see Mijas, Spain changed. We are here to see other parts of Europe changed when we’ve walked through them. This is Church! This is community! This is LOVE! This is the KINGDOM!
Here’s another video that you need to check out about what it means to walk through the initiation process. What you see is the hearts of individuals who have also gone through this WR journey. It isn’t about the World Race necessarily, but it is about the process of letting the Lord empty you out of yourself so that he may come into you fully! I found this to be a beautiful portrayal of what this Kingdom thing is about! Bottom line, this is a beautiful expression not necessarily where we’ve come from….but where we’re going!
