As much as the World Race will be an adventure, preparing to go on the World Race has already been a journey in itself. I get excited when people ask “So what are you doing with your education?” or “So waitress, huh, what else are you going to do?” From there, I preceed to try to introduce the World Race in a 30 second speech. Their eyes light up from excitment and a sense of wonder is born. “What a great idea!” “Are you kidding? Really? Wow, I wish I could do something like that.”
There is something about living in God’s will that is an adventure for all to hear and experience. It looks different for all, but God is always faithful in reveal it to us, on His time frame. I see how faithful He is to place people in my path to encourage, enlighten and even dream about what God can do if we just simply obey His call in our lives.
Obeying His call isn’t always easy. Stepping out of a comfortable box is hard. I know. I am about to step out of a very comfortable box. I have been in the Northwest Arkansas area for 13 years and am now being thrown at the world. Literally, launched into the unknown.
I sit here (of course at a coffee shop) trying to figure out how I am going to get everything finished to leave this comfort box. Part of this journey to the World Race is giving up things that I so long thought I needed. It’s surrendoring my rights and becoming vunlerable. It’s trusting Jesus to provide now more than ever. God is showing me not to wait on launch date, June 28th, but to be present right where I am and live outside my comfort box in Bentonville.
These last six months have been spent at Mimis Cafe, in a classroom taking “Perspectives,” with my cell group, on various trips with friends and church, and just being at home with my family. I have made so many new relationships and see the hunger in peoples eyes to find a hope. People in Northwest Arkansas are searching. It’s really not a matter of people that have never heard the Gospel, but a matter of people wanting to be loved and not judged, dispite what they think of the “Bible belt.”
God has taught me to love those people in my life. To listen and offer a hug and a prayer. This has been part of my journey to the World Race: stepping out of my comfort box right at home. I start by listening to the Holy Spirit. He will guide when the time right. May we refresh the eyes we see everyday, in our comfort boxes, to a hope that is all wrapped up in love and invitation. Everyone has a story. May this be a part of our jouney in Christ.
