My biggest lesson on The World Race:
Month 11 is here and we are walking the Camino. Yep, that’s walking 150 miles reflecting on what the heck even happened this year.
A lot of walking, A LOT of reflection time.
This year has been the hardest yet most amazing time of my life. I can’t believe it is coming to an end.
Yesterday, I struggled. We were walking the same distance as we normally do (about 15 miles) and my feet COULD NOT handle it. I cried, I pushed, I was so frustrated. My friend told me that we had 1 more hour of walking and suggested that we just play pump up music. So I grabbed my phone and tried to play my “fun bops” playlist and go figure…my phone stopped working. My music wouldn’t play, my podcast wouldn’t play, and guess what? I was mad. I threw a hissy fit with God and kinda gave Him some attitude 🙂 whoops!
But it was in that moment that I knew God wanted me. He wanted to take me through this year and let me really feel what I experienced.
I weeped.
I grieved for the people who have been abused by this world.
I smiled at all the beautiful times of adventure and culture.
I remembered all the faces and names that have shaped my heart forever.
I praised Jesus for all the times He has led me through the valley.
I worshiped Him for all the souls that have been touched by His presence this year.
I weeped again.
This year has wrecked me. This year has opened my eyes to who I am called to be. It has opened my eyes on what compassion really looks like.
I am reading a book called Daring to Hope and she speaks about compassion. I really believe she nails it when it comes to explaining true compassion so I am going to share it with all of you:
“Compassion is not bending toward the under privileged from a privileged position; it is not reaching out from on high to those who are less fortunate below; it is not a gesture of sympathy or pity for those who fail to make it in the upward pull. On the contrary, compassion means going directly to those people and places where suffering is most acute and building a home there.”
Building a home there.
I love this.
This entire year we have had the opportunity to build a home. It’s beautiful. People are so beautiful and if you let them, they will teach you so much.
And this is my biggest lesson from The World Race. The lesson on what true compassion and love is.
Compassion and love are sacrifice. It is leaving what is comfortable and safe. It is going into the unknown but trusting that God is with you. It is trusting God in the uncertain. It is stepping out and making a difference in someone’s life. It is going after the One but not stopping there. It is being so in love with Jesus that you are willing to follow Him anywhere.
Does this mean everyone is called to go into the nations?
Absolutely not. America is hungry for Jesus too 🙂
But this does not mean to stay in the American bubble and ignore that there are so many people in this world who are in deep pain.
And so I ask myself the question, how can I go back home the same? After seeing so many hurting people who are desperate for hope?
And the answer is this,
I will never be the same…
But I praise God for this.
I don’t want to be the same. I don’t want to be so caught up in my own life that I forget to take the time to see people. I don’t want to be so focused on myself that I am blind to the fact that time is short and there are people in deep suffering. I know I can’t save the world, I can’t even save one person…Jesus is the only one who can save. But I do know this, I am called to live a life of love. I am called to do what I can to help people and be a home for them. I was created to be a safe place. God revealed that to me.
So can I challenge you with something?
I challenge you to do something to help someone else.
I challenge you to have no other intention but to simply help them.
I challenge you to do something that will push you into the unknown and simply trust God in it.
I challenge you to open your home.
I challenge you to open your heart.
God has something so much more for you. Trust me. He is speaking.
with love, Shelby
