It’s obvious that God has given each of us different desires and passions in life. Mine happens to be traveling. I have traveled a fair share for my age, but as I have gotten older my desire to see the world has gotten bigger. When I finished university I felt like a ball and chain had been taken off of me. (Not that university was bad, in fact my four years in Montreal were some of the best years of my life.) But once those four years were over, I had the freedom to go anywhere. 
I dreamt of being a nanny in Tuscany watching over little blond haired Italian children while they played at the beach and then piling all of us into a little Fiat and driving home on the curvy back roads to the families Tuscan villa. But God didn’t share that dream.
I dreamt of going to Thailand and teaching English to a classroom full of eager little learners and going home to a quaint and cozy little apartment in Bangkok and cooking yummy Thai food. But God didn’t fulfill that dream either.
I dreamt of working on a cruise ship and saving money while traveling from port to port
meeting lots of interesting people and touring a variety of cities. But once again God said no.
Instead, I ended up living in the suburbs of Phoenix with my sister and her family and tea
ching at a local preschool. Needless to say, I’m not currently living my dream. God closed all the doors for adventure and travel and sent me here. For many months I was frustrated with God wondering why He had left me here in the desert. I’m not fond of heat, especially 120 degrees for weeks on end. I’m not fond of suburbia, I thrive in a city full of people and coffee shops and endless things to do. I’m not fond of driving everywhere, I love riding buses and subways and being able to walk almost anywhere. Yet here I am.
After a few months of not being my usual happy self I decided to stop wasting time on being frustrated and annoyed. I wanted to savor the time I had with my sister and her family as well as my new friends and not dwell on the fact that this year was not turning out the way I had envisioned it. It was once I had decided to be content and to start enjoying myself that I heard about The World Race.
As a Christian one my greatest fears has always been that God and I wouldn’t see eye to eye, that He would lead me down one path when I wanted to follow a different one. I’ve struggled with this
off and on for years. There have been times when I thought I was ready and I would give everything over to God. But then ever so slowly and sneakily I’d try to steal back the portions of my life that I wanted control over.
My passion for travel is one of the areas I’ve had a hard time letting go of. I want to travel so much that I sometimes question if following God can really fulfill that desire in me. When I got accepted to The World Race I was so excited that I missed what was right in front of my eyes. God had finally granted me my dream. Lamentations 3:25 says “The Lord is good to those who wait for Him” and Psalms 37:4 says “Delight yourself also in the Lord, And He shall give you the desires of your heart.” With such clear advice, I feel quite foolish for having ever doubted God. This adventure was planned by God way before it even entered my mind and I am truly thankful that I serve a God who is so good to me. I can’t wait to embark on this amazing experience that will allow me to not only travel, but to share God’s love and kindness everywhere I go.
I pray that we don’t let ourselves get bogged down by our desires and wants, but instead freely give them over to God. He is waiting to bless us more than we can even imagine, all we have to do is let Him lead.
