If you want your life to be easy, don’t read this. If you aren’t interested in taking risks, don’t read this. If you have a lukewarm faith and want to keep it that way, do not read this. If you would prefer to just blend in, don’t read this. If you think your faith is fearless but haven’t actually put yourself on the line to really find out, don’t read this. If you want to go on with your pursuit of the American Dream instead of God’s dream for your life, DON’T READ THIS.
There should be a disclaimer upon entering the World Race website. It should say something like:
“Are you willing to completely surrender your will to God?
o Yes (your life will change when you click this button)
o No (you will be returned to your facebook creeping when you click this button)” <— that was me before entering the site
Just plain old DON’T look at the World Race Website if you aren’t willing to completely surrender your will to God. And I am not saying that everyone who views this site is going to be signing up for the world race, but I truly believe you cannot take a look at this site without being inspired to pursue God like you never have before. Believe me, the minute I viewed this site, I was called.
For the last year I have been contemplating what God has next for me. I have been asked what I am going to do with my life countless times. And my response to everyone has been the same “I feel like I’m waiting for something, but I don’t know what it is yet.” To be honest, whenever I said that I had a little bit of a picture in the back of my mind of what that something might be. Sometimes it might have been the hope for my husband coming into my life, other times it might have been the dream of a job being offered to me in ministry, but even more often than either of those, it was the tugging on my heart to do something CRAZY for God.
In the last year, whenever I hear a sermon or read a devotional about what God calls us to in scripture, my heart starts beating out of my chest, I feel my face getting hot, and I feel like I’m literally going to fly out of my chair. I am screaming inside “I can do this! I need to do this! I don’t even want to talk about doing this anymore I just want to GO DO THIS!” And for a while I have satisfied the fire in my heart for answering God’s call by doing His work here, in my comfortable and safe town of Normal, Illinois… Yes, it is called Normal – that should have been clue number one right? I have stretched and challenged myself many times to satisfy my desire to be a co-laborer with Christ. I have taken risks and stepped out in boldness for the Lord consistently for the last 3 years. But in the last year, my heart’s felt like it is going to explode every time I hear about really doing something extreme for the Lord. I finally realized that God is calling me to GO.
In the Dominican Republic last summer I heard a sermon that I think I have thought about every single day since that trip. The sermon discussed the fact that most people, especially in our culture, live by a MAP. They follow the path that they have laid out for themselves, either by their own will or by the expectations of others, without too many questions asked. Every twist and turn is followed closely, we keep our fingers crossed that we don’t take a wrong turn or get lost, and heaven forbid we discover a new path – that would just be too risky! Many things that people aspire to do and be while following their map are very good and important things, however they could be completely missing out on the things that God intended for them. The sermon went on to discuss that we can choose to live by a COMPASS instead. We can allow God to be the direction our compass is pointing us towards and follow whatever path that compass guides us on in order to continue our pursuit of the LORD above all else. We can throw the map out the window, casting our fears and hesitations aside. We can travel the road or even off the road, in complete freedom, moving in the confidence and power of a person who is running toward God. During this sermon I had a revelation: I AM A COMPASS PERSON!!!! I don’t care where I’m going or what I’m doing as long as I’m facing GOD!
I should have known what was to come after declaring that over myself! I don’t have a relationship, career aspiration, lease, or financial debt holding me back. I am at a place in my life where I am totally FREE to follow God like never before! To abandon EVERYTHING for the Lord! He has made me WILLING and He has made me ABLE. What a waste this time in my life would be if I were to say no!
Within 24 hours of hearing about the World Race for the first time I had applied. The call was urgent. The desire was unmistakable. I pray that my blog will be something that people don’t want to read if they aren’t willing to surrender their plans, their “map,” for God’s will for their life. That the stories I have and will have to share will make your heart beat fast and your face get hot, not because I am that interesting or inspiring, but because the LORD is speaking to you, and that, my friends, is something some people, just don’t want to read.
