Coaching at RashidatO.com | Social Activism at Whereveryougolove.com
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In many ways, it is easy to assume that World Race is “the same” for everyone regardless of the color of their skin or their ethnic background. As shared in part 1, that is not necessarily the case, but it’s ok because it makes for a great story and its a light-hearted way to bring share the view from another race’s eyes. Here are another 3 differences to add to the list…
- Your teammate hears the title “When You Are the Only Black Person Part 1” of your last post and says “wait, are you really the only black person”. Maybe she didn’t notice since she’s not black?
- I can’t do anything without ending up covered in long straight blonde or brunette hair.
- It’s very likely that a teammate will say “it’s ok, we’re white”. Then pause and realize that they are talking to me… the only black person.
During my first week in Thailand, I came very close to losing my temper. It was not because of white versus black racial relations. Instead, it was about communication.
I’m pretty sure that if you are not a current or an alumni World Racer that you have never had to live missionally immediately with 5 other people that you just met. There is so much to learn and figure out about each other while immediately being spiritually attacked by Satan and his minions.
“When two humans [or 6] have lived together… it usually happens that each has tones of voice and expressions of the face which are almost unendurably irritating to the other.”
-The Screwtape Letters by C.S. Lewis
Interestingly enough, one of my spiritual coaches, Keith, recently passed me the book The Screwtape Letters by C.S. Lewis. This book is a collection of letters about spiritual warfare from the eyes of a Master Demon written to an Apprentice Demon teaching him the ins and outs of using our sin nature and flesh against us.
“It is funny how mortals always picture us as putting things into their minds: in reality, our best work is done by keeping things out.”
-The Screwtape Letters by C.S. Lewis
My favorite thing about this book is that God is always on time. He had Keith put this book in my hand at the exact right time and even though there is a demon-fighting against me, God is ahead of him countering the Demon’s every step. All I have to do is choose to say yes to God and trust Him rather than inserts of the enemy.
Back to that day…
I had such a great and amazing day! It started as relaxing, progressed to fun, and continued with an encouraging Word from God from new friends named Ebony and Lise… until we arrived back at the hostel…
I stepped into my dorm room and negativity smacked in the face saying “have you seen on GroupMe that one of our teammates is making it mandatory for all of us to go to the Lantern Festival together as a team away from the rest of the squad?” There was so much in this statement that the enemy used to flair my anger. And my mind was immediately off to the races…
“Why are we relying on communication through a spotty internet connection to convey ‘mandatory’ directives at the last minute while we all live in the same building?”
“I’ve had such a great day. A great day where I was encouraged to press into this season of leadership that I am dreading… to come back to… to this?”
“God I know this person has good intentions because we had some conversations about this just yesterday, but the team would burn me at the stakes for the communicating ineffectively like this and we all know that, so why would one think it is ok for them to lead this way?”
“Lord, I am so angry right now. I am angry not because of the intention, but in the way, the message was conveyed. I am angry because I don’t want to deal with this. I am angry because you placed so much encouragement in my life today and I am not ready to give it up. Please help me not let Satan come in between the gift you have given me.”
“Whenever there is prayer, there is danger of His own immediate action. He is cynically indifferent to the dignity of His position, and ours, as pure spirits, and to human animals, on their knees, He pours out self-knowledge in a quite shameless fashion.
-The Screwtape Letters by C.S. Lewis
…Deep breath…
I hug my Race BFF, Ashlyn, and prepare to fight for my gift from God.
With the least amount of snark that I can muster, I ask one of my teammates “so what’s the plan for this evening?” He starts to answer with the information he knew but immediately realizes that he does NOT want to be the messenger at this second. He sees the teammate that was organizing this event and calls the person into the room to answer the question. I notice that the first teammate immediately runs for the door and disappears down the steps as the person defensively starts with…
“I told you this yesterday”
I open my eyes big as the anger wells up in my chest and more calmly than expected I say “No, no you didn’t”.
“Yes, I did”.
I question “when?!?”.
“As we were walking through the market yesterday”.
I think I chuckled as I said “so the conversational comment that you made yesterday as we joyously weaved in and out of the crowd through the market was the notification that you gave me the time, place, and specific details of what you want to do today?” with my eyes wide, neck bobbing, and eyebrows raised.
My teammate starts to think and realizes something.
I proceed “I remember the conversation and I know what you are trying to do, but this was the poorest way you could have done this. Please just give me a minute. I’ll grab my phone and come downstairs.”
I turn around and start to walk to the window begging God to help me say yes. Right now, everything in me wants to say NO! to spite the situation because of how I feel. I turn around and Ashlyn and my teammate are still standing there. I walk past them and head up to my room. I grab my cell phone. Ashlyn, my rock, follows me, and my angel Ebony steps into the room. She can tell I’m agitated and asks me “what’s wrong?”
“We had such a good day and I’M NOT WILLING TO GIVE THAT UP!” The 3 of us hug and she prays over me. I dry my tears… I walk downstairs… And I say yes.
I start to calm down as we walk to the river. I pull my teammate aside and say “I want you to know I am not angry with your intention or your effort to step up and lead. In reality, I very much applaud and appreciate you for moving from talking about it to doing it. It took courage and I am so proud and grateful that you are leaning in. I am angry in the way you did it because I almost missed out due to the way it was communicated. All that aside, this is good. It’s better to try and hit a bump in the road than to never try at all. So I am saying yes to you, yes to your effort. I love you” and we hug in the market.
As we release and start to walk through the market again I say “and forget what the Asian culture says about men and women hugging in public!” He turns to me and says “It’s ok… we’re white….”. We bust out laughing as I look down at my dark brown skin.
“That’s going on my list for ‘When You Are the Only Black Person Part 2”.
