For most of my adult life I’ve heard multiple times when it comes to faith, “Schuylar you have so much potential.” I of course have always found that rather difficult to believe, and especially to live up to. But it’s starting to become clear that it must be true and the enemy must know this year would be the time I would finally figure that out because these first three months of the race have not been easy for me.
Yes there have been fun times and I’ve met great people and seen God work through the ministries we have be involved with. Yes I’m enjoying the beautiful views in each country and falling in love with each little child I see. However, no matter how far you run away from home, you can’t ever leave it behind. Month one my great grandfather died, month two was spent in silence between me and the guy I love, and beginning of moth three the most heartbreaking news about my sister came to light.
I headed back to America on March 15th to spend two weeks with my family. To support them and love on them through this tough time. In that time, I spent an hour almost every night in a psych ward of a hospital visiting my sister. And in that two weeks something crazy occurred to me.
The World Race is set up like a psych ward.
It’s a voluntary program
You can have about 5 outfits
There’s no phone access
Limited to no internet
You eat what’s provided for you
You go through counseling and accountability on a daily basis
You wear no make up
You are never allowed to be alone
You’re forced to hang out with the same group of people all the time
You wake up and go to bed when you are told
And in the end, people expect you to come out changed.
Now, that can all sound pretty awful, and most of you will probably read that list and wonder why the heck I am choosing to stay on this trip. But in all reality, psych wards exist to help people grow. To push people out of their dangerous, life threatening ways and into habits and desires to be a better version of themselves. Sometimes life gets ahold of you, and for some people this type of program is the only way to escape.
Sure, you can look at that list and think I’m insane, but i look at that difficult list and smile. Because that simplicity, that new way of living, is probably the only way I would have ever realized how wrecked and how awful the life I have been living is.
I may not come home in 8 more months a totally new person, but I do pray I come home more mature. In my faith and just in life, because if I don’t then I’m wasting my time. And I would have gone through these tough moments in my life away from my family and people I love for no reason at all.
So here’s to 8 more months in my own personal psych ward, or Faith Ward if you will.
Please continue to pray for my family, my team, my squad, and I. I really appreciate it 🙂
