When I first applied and got accepted for the race, many people began to ask me a variety of questions.
“So…what is the World Race anyways?”
“How much do you have to fundraise?”
“Where are you going?”
& of course, the million dollar question: “Are you nervous to go?”
I had always written off that last question like it was nothing. Of course I wasn’t nervous to go, I had been out of the country before, many of my friends are in university or married with kids, and already doing things with their lives. I’ve put on this mask forcing myself to believe that I don’t have much to leave. Well, turns out that I’ve been believing a G I A N T lie. I came to this realization two Sunday’s ago in church, Jesus really is a funny guy. Being newer to my church I often feel like I walk in and walk out each week without saying hello or engaging in a single conversation… or at least that’s what I thought. When I walked into the sanctuary I was greeted by my friend Katie (we met at a function through church, have been great friends & go to church together every Sunday ever since!) & as we walked to our usual area that we sit in, I was also greeted by a number of friendly faces from the community group that I attend every other Tuesday. As we went into worship I opened my eyes, which I don’t usually do, looked around at all of the faces that I recognized & surprised myself by shedding a tear. The thing is that it wasn’t coming from a place of sadness, it was coming from a place of happiness. I began running all of the faces through my mind that I would have to soon leave-married or not married, kids or no kids, college or not in college, I would have to say goodbye to them all in just 4 months time. It turns out that I was wrong all along, it wasn’t that I didn’t have anything to leave, it was that in a sense I didn’t really process the fact that I really was leaving everything I had ever known and that was comfortable. I guess long story short what I’m trying to say is that I have nervous butterflies in my stomach about leaving, but I’m not scared. Lately the Lord has been reminding me of His intentionality; He handpicked my squad, mapped out our route, chose the timing, and continues to go before us. He called us out of the comfortable and the normal & although I am unsure of a lot of things, the one thing I am sure of is that He’s good. Coming to the realization that leaving is actually going to be harder than I thought has definitely been challenging, but I am choosing to continue to say “yes” because I know that living a life in full abandonment to Jesus is worth it & that He will be with me in this season of goodbyes.
Thanks for reading!
All the love,
Nikki
