I started out (as we all do) super excited, jumping up and down, telling anyone and everyone that I was officially going to be traveling for a year on the World Race. Scenes of beautiful landscapes, exotic foods, laughing children, building churches, worshiping with my teammates, witnessing (and maybe performing) miracles – everything that comes with travel and ministry – were all dancing through my head.
And then came the fine print. All the exciting scenes-to-be in my head were replaced with “Why so much paperwork?”, “HOW many shots do I have to get?”, “How am I going to raise that much money?”, “How do I ask for help, I NEVER ask for help?”, “I can hardly afford rent, how am I going to buy plane tickets?”, and my favorite “God, is this REALLY what you want me to do?”
The solemn reply is always “Yes, yes it is.” I won’t lie – I’ve been procrastinating, a lot. But then I read the blogs of my fellow racers and my drive and excitement is renewed. God has also begun moving in my life, preparing me for the road ahead. I find myself more and more seeing the people and places in my community through His eyes, more and more my heart breaking for what breaks His. This whole summer I’ve found it so much easier to talk about God, what I believe, and why I do with my friends who don’t know Him yet. I began wondering what I was going to for work this winter when my summer job ends in September (who wants to hire someone for 3 months?), and wouldn’t you know it, 2 weeks later I got a call from the Minnesota Wheat Growers to help out from mid-August through December (with potential for grad-work and possibly a job when I get back)! I finally decided it would be best to lease my horse for the next year or two while I’m gone, and low and behold I ran into a nice mother and daughter to lease her the next day. Most recently, I was wondering how I was going to afford gear and plane tickets in time for training camp (on top of rent), and a side-job I picked up as a favor for an old boss paid enough for gear and tickets to get to both training camp and launch!
It’s the little things that God does – just when I’m feeling down or beginning to doubt – that really hit it home that yes, this is what God wants me to do right now, and yes, he will provide everything I need to get me ready for this amazing journey I’m about to embark on. All I have to do is trust in Him.
