Picture this: You are a glass of water.
You start out overfull, overflowing, and spilling onto the things surrounding you. Pretty soon, the table is wet and water is dripping on the floor.
You’re still full after the spills, but you’re no longer overflowing naturally due to lack of space in the cup. Thirsty people know they can get what they need when they come to you.
A few parched people have taken a sip of you. You’re now just half full. Not bad. You’ve still got some good ‘ole agua to give to those in need of refreshment.
Several more people have come to take what you can give. They need water for their very livelihood and you selflessly give of yourself.
You are now an empty glass of water. You don’t have more to give because you’re all dried out. What now? How do you fix this so you can serve more thirsty people?
You realize you’re just a glass of water – a holder for the thing that’s actually needed. You can’t refill on your own. You need someone to do it for you.
You see, we are the vessels and God’s spirit is the love force that works in and through us. We can’t do anything apart from him, so we must stay connected to him to keep that overflow for the empty and parched people.
For the past four days, V-Squad has been at our month six debrief in Kathmandu, Nepal.
Debriefs happen every two months on the World Race. They make space for us to join hands in processing what we’ve experienced on the field and how to carry that into our next few months of ministry.
We worship, we teach and learn, we spend time one-on-one with our leadership team, we discuss where we are spiritually, and we even have some fun sometimes. One of the most important aspects of debriefs has been finding true spiritual rest, which makes a way for us to operate out of an overflow of the heart in ministry.
I absolutely adore debriefs. I don’t know where my head would be without this space to examine what I’ve seen and done and felt over the last two months of shock, culturally and otherwise.
I’ve been learning how important it is to pause every now and then if we want to sustain our purpose. God has actually been speaking to me a lot about rest on the Race, and he’s given me revelations on this debrief specifically. I even shared my thoughts about it on Instagram today.
I captioned my photo:
“I remember people talking about the World Race like it was an 11 month vacation with a pretty mission statement. These were people who had never worked in missions, let alone served on the World Race. You might see my feed and believe the lie that this thing is easy, that it’s all smiles all the time. Allow me to be transparent with you: It’s never easy to take risk after risk, pour into and build people up daily, or adjust to culture while trying to be useful. It takes a lot out of you emotionally, mentally, spiritually, and even physically. It’s necessary to return to the Father and find rest if I want to see good things happen through me for the Kingdom. Maybe that looks like trekking a mountain or maybe it looks like burrowing my face in a good book all afternoon. Whatever it takes. I’ve had to fight for rest to keep on keeping on, and God has caught me when I’ve been close to falling on my face numerous times. I’m on a journey to find out what rest means to me, and it’s led me to some pretty sweet places (like this rooftop coffee shop). Please know that photos tell a great story, but they can’t possibly tell the whole story. Still, I wouldn’t change this wildly purposeful life for anything.”
I realize that debriefs might make the World Race look like a big, ‘round the world lollapalooza of boojie coffees and adrenaline-filled adventures. I also realize that a lot of people have opinions about missionaries manipulating their title to travel and experience new cultures.
I hope my words break this lie off today. The everyday life of the World Race is amazing, but it is challenging. Being uncomfortable is challenging, and I’ll be the first to raise my hand high that this lifestyle is indeed uncomfortable a big portion of the time.
Surely, the fruit is sweet, but the sewing and watering of seeds is no easy task.
What does it look like for us to find true rest when debriefs are no longer there every two months? I’ve been pondering this question as I look forward at the reality of life beyond the World Race.
I’ve felt the Lord pulling me toward full time ministry since the beginning of the Race. How would I sustain my livelihood while giving to others as my full time gig, as my entire life?
The answer is this: Come to Jesus.
He said, “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” (Matthew 11:28-30)
Dang, I don’t know about you, but I want to take hold of those promises for myself. He will give me rest when I simply come to him? Great, count me in!
My yokes and burdens are heavy and crushing without His hand taking the load off my back.
The heaviness of shoeless kids covered in dirt begging for my water, knowing full well I can’t fix their situation, is too much to bear. The reality that men and women I’ve encountered have resorted to selling their bodies to feed their families is not a load I’m strong enough to carry on my own. The sick people, the zoned out drug addicts, the power-hungry preachers missing the true Jesus, these are burdens I cannot take on my own. I can find enough humility for this moment to admit that.
This is why I must seek out the Lord for rest. I’d crumble to pieces if I held these things as my own to handle.
It’s a continual, every-single-day choice to lean in close, admit my limitations, and ask Him to refill me with hope so good it doesn’t make sense.
This isn’t just for people on the mission field either. America is plagued with a “go, produce, do it all” approach to life and it’s burning us out. When is the last time you sat in God’s presence and allowed Him to love you tenderly in the stillness?
This is His heart for us! We were made to worship Him and commune with Him, not earn affection through accomplishments.
Whatever it takes for you, I encourage you to press into rest for your soul. I remember the first time someone asked what rest looks like for me and I didn’t have an answer. I knew rest as the few hours I was unconscious in my bed at the end of the day, but God has expanded that as I’ve pressed into a real desire to find out what it really means.
Maybe you don’t have an answer either. Maybe you do. Whatever you do, look to God for that rejuvenation in your spirit. He’s the only one that can take our loads and fill us up again, and our Heavenly Father LOVES to fill us up.
Press in, press on.
Love and blessings,
McKenzie
