“Before I formed you in the womb I knew you,
Before you were born I set you apart;
I appointed you as a prophet to the nations”
– Jeremiah 1:5
An empowering verse – before birth, God knows us individually and has a specific plan designed for our futures. Growing up in a crazy family of seven, I learned how quickly I can become bitter and annoyed. I continually feel abandoned and struggle with my self-worth and body image. Despite struggling to believe in God’s plan, I know that I am forgiven and set apart, and God will always work for the good of my life as I work for the good of His.
God has been working in my heart since I was young to get me to where I am now, to a place where I have chosen to surrender my life to Him and to go among the nations. It blows my mind that the God of the universe knows me and has picked me, with all of my messiness, to serve Him. On top of that, God has shown me that I am not called to do it alone.
That brings me to my team. For the duration of the race, God has chosen me to be a part of an awesome team of people from all over the United States, living different paths of life and from completely diverse backgrounds. Before July 13th, I had never met them, but by July 21st, I couldn’t imagine being on a team with anyone else. You know when you go on a first date and get butterflies? Yeah, I had that with this team.
So please let me introduce you to team Illumination. We chose this name for our team because we want to be people who bring light to the darkest of places.
(From left to right)
“My name is Jenni and I love Forrest Gump.”
“My name is Sarah from Virginia and I love to laugh and sing.”
“Hey my name is Evan, I’m from Boston and I can’t live without my mustache.”
“Hi! My name’s Joe and I just graduated from Biola University with a business degree and am SO ready to explore the world.”
“Hi I’m Kristin. I like people and playing outside.”
God has won over each of our hearts individually and has called each of us to follow Him. And because of that, I get to spend the next 11 months with a group of people who are all chasing after the same thing I am. God has intertwined us and placed us together so we can run after Him and show Him to others. We want to find truth, love and light. God doesn’t need us in order to save this earth but He has asked us to follow Him and share His name to the nations. We said yes. How about you? Are you willing to follow His plan and go where He calls you?
God formed you, He knows you, He appoints you, and most importantly He loves you. Yes, you, the messy, broken, beautiful you. Is there something deep in your soul you feel called to, but fear or unwillingness holds you back? Do you believe God has a plan for YOU?
The answer is yes.
