Tips for Current Racers: Coming Home

Yesterday was 2 years ago to the day that my tired, cankled, tattooed, flip flopped feet set foot on American soil after finishing the World Race with 1st gen. T squad. I was scared, excited and walking into the great unknown. Would I be different? Would everyone else be different? Would I fit in or would I be irrelevant? Would I feel all alone or be welcome back to community? Could I keep my relationship with the Lord just as vibrant or would it settle back into the fog it started out in? Would I end up staying at home or heading back out onto the field? Would I break down and cry in a grocery store cereal aisle?

Well, after 2 years of being back in the U.S. of A., I can say the answer to all of those questions was a resounding… yes.

(Except for the cereal aisle, I was totally fine there.)

And I can assure all of you racers who just got home or are currently on the field asking these same questions…

Yes. 

Yes, you will be different and so will everyone else. New babies and marriages and growth and change.

You will get disturbed that some things feel so normal so quickly, like dropping the equivalent of a day’s food budget on one latte.

You will be awkward, especially when you realize not everyone shares your enthusiasm for comparing worst travel day or poop stories.

You will feel like a foreigner in familiar surroundings, especially when you make a left turn onto the wrong side of the road.

You will want to move right back to the African bush after tasting of American pop culture and getting updated on the latest healthcare laws.

You will feel alone without your squad/team and their constant encouragement and annoying habits.

You will feel out of place in community that once felt so close and right at home with communities you’ve never been a part of before.

You will find strange comfort in standing in the international food aisle at Kroger and be tempted to go up and embrace anyone with a foreign accent.

Yes, there will be times when the Lord is silent but there will also be times when His revelation rains down on you harder than it ever did on the Race.

Yes, there will be times you would do almost anything to get back out on the field and there will be times you’ll want to pretend this past year never happened.

Yes. You’ll be emotional and strange but here is some truth in love for you to keep in mind as you brave the next few months huddled in a coffee shop journaling out your angst.

1. You’re going to be ok. It sucks but you’re going to get through it just like you got through month 11. Gritting your teeth and depending on the Lord.
2. You are not a failure for not having it all figured out. For not knowing your kingdom dream. For not going back onto the field right away. Or if your plan A or B or H crashes and burns. Or if you end up living with your parent’s for a bit. People have a lot of expectations for you as you get off the field but the good news is you don’t have to live up to any of them. You are responsible to what the Lord is calling you to do, so pay attention. I guarantee you that if you are not aimless in your pursuit of the Lord and chase after Him alone instead of just His marching orders, He will not leave you directionless and outward action will follow soon enough.
3. You need to grieve. Don’t try to move on too fast and don’t be afraid to cry about it. Find a friend who will let you talk through experiences and memories. Stay connected with at least your closest squadmates. Talking about your last year in almost any form is therapeutic. Even speaking at churches or small groups. It lets others in and gives you understanding and proof that the last year of your life was real every time you open your mouth.
4. You still need Jesus. You’ll actually go deeper with the Lord after the Race because you don’t have a cause or ministry to tie your relationship with Him too. It’s just you and Him now. So allow Him to walk you through all this. It only gets harder, deeper, and better. Way, way better.
5. You need Spirit-filled community. Unless the Lord has specifically told you to be in a hard setting for a specific reason, get your butt out there and find or make some life-giving friends. Do whatever you have to do. We were meant to be a part of a body. It doesn’t have to look traditional as long as it looks like Jesus.
6. You do not know everything there is to know about missions or the world or Jesus. The Race was an amazing experience but it doesn’t give you the last word on every spiritual conversation or the right to judge anyone else for not seeing and believing the way you do. Trust me, the Race is not the pinnacle of your spiritual life and you will discover so much more as you keep going. I don’t mean you’re wrong (you did gain a ton of experience) but be patient with others and stay on guard against any pride creeping up in yourself.
7. You will move on. You will laugh until you cry (or pee your pants) over Race memories even 2+ years later, but over the span of your life, this year will not be the most memorable. It was incredible but it’s not the end. Your life is about to get rocked in bigger and bigger ways as you let all your experiences and the things you’ve learned settle into the depths of who you are. Your authority will grow as your identity gets firmer. You will go through achingly hard seasons and come out stronger on the other side. You will experience more joy than seems humanly possible. You will be pushed and learn to lead in things you didn’t know you could. Your walk with the Lord will get even crazier and more beautiful. Yes, you will move on but it’s only going to get more extraordinary.

Cheers.