The World Race means letting go. Letting go of your wants and replacing them wth God’s needs. Releasing yourself from the trivial things in life, to make room for growth and joy of the small acts and beauties the world and people have to offer. Finding and feeling a depth to life versus an emptiness while showing and being what others expect you to be. Being a World Racer means dropping expectation, or tearing them down really. Letting go of your expectations of the things to come, as well as the expectation others have for your life. What may be considered normal and practical, might not necessarily be what god has planned for your life.
So often we normalize God with this “safe for the family” ideal… but He’s not safe. My God, is a God of endless love, but if you go brush up on old school bible stories. you can see some of the intense stuff He had a hand in for a greater purpose.
Jesus has been also been pushed into a cookie-cutter mold of just endless love, safe ideals, normal… Which I find so weird because He was anything but those things (aside from the love). He was a basically homeless man, who wondered around the nations with his followers, constantly breaking the social norm. He talked with lepors, prostitutes, the people society had cast aside as unworthy, he called people out on what they’ve done.. but in a way of love.
He didn’t sit aside and watch things happen.
People find missionary work mind boggling…. like why would you willingly go to these places of less comfort, with all the risk?
Because…
We are called to live a christ-like life. To show love and kindness to others. My God is a God of love, and everyone is deserving of it, even if they haven’t had the opportunity to experience love and kindness from someone yet. I want to be that person. I want to spread the feeling that is in my chest that feels too much for just me, to spread kindness and hope and community. I’ve seen and experienced what a loving community can do… even if on the entire 9 months, if I only were to really help reach just one person, I would be ok with that.
We are called to live radical lives, radical in the sense that we go and do with courage despite any fears we have, to share with all the nations. Sharing not just by words, but by our acts. I have no qualms of leaving this comfortable routine filled life I have because as I’ve aged, I’ve learned that my few possessions have very little value to me. I’ve replaced the expectations of many, with the expectations of the only one who matters. My God of love created billions of beautiful people, mountains, oceans, and I can’t wait for the opportunity to see them all.
The only expectation I have for this trip, is that God is going to break me down with the experiences to come and rebuild me, over and over again with each country I visit, and each person I meet… it will hurt at times but oh how it will be so worth it to see what he wants me to see and be. To dance and laugh and teach the little kids I will encounter along the way, to help build in communities, and meet with people who have been forced into impossible situations will be humbling and I cannot wait.
