It’s early in month two and God is proving to me again that I am, in fact, His favorite.
Now going onto the race, I had to give up all expectations on how life could potentially look for an entire year. Of course, I thought that meant abandonment of things, of sanitation and hygiene, of worldly comforts like beds and pillows, of internet.
Now I’m in Ecuador and God has proceeded to overly provide for me again. I am having to now let go of the expectation that “Race Life” means using a tent and roughing it. That absolutely has not been the story of my race thus far. Last month, my team lived with three other teams in the Beverly Hills of San Juan. We lived in a safe, beautiful city. We had mattresses, a fully functional kitchen. We had a track and work out facility a quarter mile down the road. We had showers. I thought that would be the nicest accommodations I had all race…
So here we are in Ecuador and being told that each racer would be living in a host home alone (aka, full Spanish immersion) and scattered in rough conditions. This is true for our two teams who are living in the stereotypical Amazon jungle and potentially true of the three teams on the coastlands. Then there is my team. We are living in a valley outside of Quito. Again, Beverly Hills of Ecuador. Somehow we ended up being divided into three homes. Each home has at least one English speaker. We all have hot water. Families that want to cook for us and let us use their kitchens. We all have wireless internet. I’m in bed writing this. BED (well actually, Cadence is on the bed, I am sleeping on my incredible makeshift blanket bed which I actually much prefer). WE HAVE BEDS AND INTERNET. Cadence and I are living in a home with a divorced, adorable stereotypical South American cowboy and his 22 year old daughter who speaks perfect English. There are multiple saddles hanging over our staircase. Tonight, the four of us went grocery shopping at the upper-class mall at a store that was Whole Foods meets Target meets Ikea full of familiar brand names, even in toiletries!
We ate lunch today at a Pizza Hut that was more like an Olive Garden. We watched parts of the Super Bowl from our Rusty Burger Joint where I ate more American food.
I was reflecting on all of these incredible blessings from God. I mean this is absolutely NOT how I imagined the race would look. Where is the sacrifice here? I am living more like an exchange student than a racer.
So. I realized that God is trying to teach me very specific lessons that are mega relevant to my lifestyle stateside. My life here in Ecuador has all of the same comforts as my life in LA. So, I am realizing very quickly that He wants me to learn to choose Him when it would be so easy to do anything else. This month I have to choose abandonment. I have to choose quiet time. I have to choose to press into Him. I have to choose to prayer walk over shopping. I have to choose to journal over reading ESPN.com. I have to choose my sisters and teammates and hosts over skyping home 24-7. I have to choose Him. All day. Every minute of every day. Honestly, I was horrible at that back home. I chose me every second of every day.
This month I am determined to choose Him.
This month I am determined to be used to bring His Kingdom.
I am going to thank Him abundantly for the hot showers and the kitchen and the grocery store.
I am going to see that He does delight in blessing me.
But He delights even more in me choosing Him when the world of convenience is laying at my feet.
Now going onto the race, I had to give up all expectations on how life could potentially look for an entire year. Of course, I thought that meant abandonment of things, of sanitation and hygiene, of worldly comforts like beds and pillows, of internet.
Now I’m in Ecuador and God has proceeded to overly provide for me again. I am having to now let go of the expectation that “Race Life” means using a tent and roughing it. That absolutely has not been the story of my race thus far. Last month, my team lived with three other teams in the Beverly Hills of San Juan. We lived in a safe, beautiful city. We had mattresses, a fully functional kitchen. We had a track and work out facility a quarter mile down the road. We had showers. I thought that would be the nicest accommodations I had all race…
So here we are in Ecuador and being told that each racer would be living in a host home alone (aka, full Spanish immersion) and scattered in rough conditions. This is true for our two teams who are living in the stereotypical Amazon jungle and potentially true of the three teams on the coastlands. Then there is my team. We are living in a valley outside of Quito. Again, Beverly Hills of Ecuador. Somehow we ended up being divided into three homes. Each home has at least one English speaker. We all have hot water. Families that want to cook for us and let us use their kitchens. We all have wireless internet. I’m in bed writing this. BED (well actually, Cadence is on the bed, I am sleeping on my incredible makeshift blanket bed which I actually much prefer). WE HAVE BEDS AND INTERNET. Cadence and I are living in a home with a divorced, adorable stereotypical South American cowboy and his 22 year old daughter who speaks perfect English. There are multiple saddles hanging over our staircase. Tonight, the four of us went grocery shopping at the upper-class mall at a store that was Whole Foods meets Target meets Ikea full of familiar brand names, even in toiletries!
We ate lunch today at a Pizza Hut that was more like an Olive Garden. We watched parts of the Super Bowl from our Rusty Burger Joint where I ate more American food.
I was reflecting on all of these incredible blessings from God. I mean this is absolutely NOT how I imagined the race would look. Where is the sacrifice here? I am living more like an exchange student than a racer.
So. I realized that God is trying to teach me very specific lessons that are mega relevant to my lifestyle stateside. My life here in Ecuador has all of the same comforts as my life in LA. So, I am realizing very quickly that He wants me to learn to choose Him when it would be so easy to do anything else. This month I have to choose abandonment. I have to choose quiet time. I have to choose to press into Him. I have to choose to prayer walk over shopping. I have to choose to journal over reading ESPN.com. I have to choose my sisters and teammates and hosts over skyping home 24-7. I have to choose Him. All day. Every minute of every day. Honestly, I was horrible at that back home. I chose me every second of every day.
This month I am determined to choose Him.
This month I am determined to be used to bring His Kingdom.
I am going to thank Him abundantly for the hot showers and the kitchen and the grocery store.
I am going to see that He does delight in blessing me.
But He delights even more in me choosing Him when the world of convenience is laying at my feet.
