Earlier today I headed to my old high school and did something that always clears my head, threw the discus. I was a discus thrower in high school and in my freshman year of college, so for whatever reason throwing the disc around calms me. Reliving the glory days like that always gives me time to think, reflect, and figure out what's going on in my life. Let me just say, there's a lot going on. So amid throws that would've made my high school self jealous I thought about what 2013 is going to bring in my life. Here's what I came up with:
Worry
It's inevitable. Finishing college, working to raise money for the Race (gear and the $15,500), all of it. By nature I'm a worrier. I'm always nervous that something will go wrong, and as such I dwell on it until I blow it out of proportion. You name it and I have probably worried about it. And I just KNOW that there's gonna be some crazy situation in Malaysia or wherever where I'm gonna be worried about something. But, I've realized something over the years. And that is that it's gonna be ok. I have been moving past all this worry nonsense because honestly it only makes things exponentially worse.
"Can any one of you by worrying add an hour to your life?" Matthew 6:27
Nope. I certainly cannot. God has my back. There is nothing in this life that is going to be an issue for God. Nothing. So, why should I be worried about what happens? It'll all work out in God's hands and in God's time. So that's that.
Hardship
I feel like saying something is going to be hard usually goes unstated. Is the World Race gonna be hard? Yeah, we knew that when we signed up. What I didn't entirely realize was how hard it was going to be leading up to it. Tomorrow I start my second job. I will be a brand new night janitor. So I will be a lab tech at Southern Miss by day, a janitor by night (sounds like a backward superhero to me). Add this to my school workload (I'm taking Genetics this semester. Gonna need some prayer on that for sure), and the extracurricular stuff with Fellowship of Christian Athletes and others that I do and I have myself a busy semester coming up. It's gonna be hard. It's gonna be hard to get the $15,500. It's gonna be hard to get the money for the gear. It's gonna be hard to say goodbye when I leave. It's gonna be hard actually being on the Race.
"Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as sons. For what son is not disciplined by his father?" Hebrews 12:7
I've always liked the saying "Nothing worth doing is easy." This is certainly no exception. The reason all of this is going to be so hard is because God wants me to lean on Him in the hard times, trust Him in the dark times, turn to Him when I don't know what to do. This kind of hardship sends me headlong into the open arms of Christ. Working hard for His vision for my life is something I'm willing to do. So bring it on, 2013. I'm ready to tackle your junk headlong (especially you, Genetics).
Joy
The previous two things have sounded crazy negative. But you have to get through the junk to get to the prize! This year is going to bring SO MUCH JOY. The joy that will come when I am fully funded. The joy that will come when I receive my undergraduate degree. The joy when I finally get to leave in September. The joy I will have doing the Lord's work in places I've never dreamed of going. The joy I will have seeing lives changes (including mine) through the process. It's just gonna be a ton of joy.
"Joy is the serious business of heaven" C. S. Lewis
"Honor and majesty are in His presence; strength and joy are in His sanctuary." 1 Chronicles 16:27
Let me not forget the joy that I will find in Him. He is going to mold me into the man I'm supposed to be through this experience. Through it all I will go closer to God than I ever have been. And if nothing else, that gives me a lot of joy.
Growth
Can't forget this. I think this will be the most maturing year of my life. Spiritually, mentally, everything. It's going to be amazing. Life is gonna get real here pretty soon, and I think I'm ready for it. I am beyond excited for God to mold me on the World Race and (I know how far ahead I'm looking here) what He has in store for me after the Race! It jacks me up to think about how awesome and incredible this year is going to be in spite of anything negative that could happen. Everything is going to work out the way it needs to and God is going to use V squad to do some amazing things. I would say that qualifies 2013 to be pretty cool year.
Wanna join me on this journey? Pray for me. Pray for V squad overall. Heck, pray for everybody who is and will be going on the World Race. It certainly couldn't hurt! If you want to contribute more I still need quite a bit of money to reach my first deadline, and would love for you to partner with me financially! Click the "Support Me" tab on the left hand side of this page or you could send a check in the mail to avoid the online processing fee. Send all checks to:
Adventures in Missions
PO Box 534470
Atlanta, GA 30353-4470
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Until next time!
