Social media gives off the biggest illusions.
When you see someone’s life scattered actively over instagram, facebook, twitter or whatever social media websites you might come across, it always looking like they have the most exhilarating and pleasing life.
Social media is like a big puzzle with a bunch of missing pieces.
You only see parts of people’s lives that they want everyone to see – and those moments are usually only the best ones. Why? Because no one likes to be vulnerable to the world. No one wants everyone to see the bad in their life so they only post the good stuff.
Social media tricks people.
Oh man, did it ever trick me.
Let’s take it back to May. The month God introduced the World Race Gap Year into my life and all I wanted to do was read other racers blogs or watch videos they made. I even stalked all of their instagram photos all the way down to 72+ weeks. (I know, it was really bad)
What did I see?
I saw all the good stuff about the World Race scattered all over their social media. All the exhilarating and pleasing parts of what my race could turn into…
I saw teams teaching in school, repairing homes and building churches. Giving and receiving so much love from the kids they taught. I saw teams pouring into each other and getting along so well. I saw people constantly serving the Kingdom of God. I saw people on fire for the Lord. I saw growth, I saw excitement, I saw business. I saw what I wanted my journey with God to be like for the next 9 months. On the go, non stop ministry. Constantly serving the Lord was what I wanted it to look like. I wanted hard labour…but so far, my journey with God has looked a lot different than what I expected.
Fast forward to this present day.
Turns out, ministry has been extremely slow.
I realized these past two month were for me to rest – to rest in the Presence of the Lord.
I realized I was seeking out what I wanted this journey to look like instead of seeking out what the Lord wanted this journey with Him to look like.
Now, I see that God wanted me to experience the life of a Thai family and that has been absolutely wonderful. This looked like driving a half hour to the market to get some groceries, trying new foods and delicious coconut drinks, cleaning up around the house, playing cards with the family, going for walks around the village, singing are you happy and you know all the way home in a back of a truck with Asia and Nation (the adorable little girls God has blessed me with), working on the rice farm every few days, laying bricks and tiles, painting designs on the kitchen walls, watching soccer and cheering on the players, enjoying conversation over meals, sharing many laughs, many tears…..
I realized that on this race, there’s some things that God wants me to experience for myself and not through social media…and those are the hard times. Because through these hard times the best comfort you can find is in the presence of the Lord.
God wanted me to experience His true love in a very gentle whisper.
There’s so much beauty in sitting still with the Lord.
In 5 days, I will be sitting on a bus for 15 hours to continue this adventure with God in Cambodia and I’m excited to see what He has in store for me there. I’m ready for Him to lead the way for the rest of the 7 months I have left. I’m ready for the chaotic adventure of celebrations and challenges but I’m going to need some help. You see the green bar at the top? It’s my fundraising tab. As you can see I haven’t reached my goal yet. I’m looking for 30 people to donate $25 USD on the 28th of November, December and February. With this fundraising method and your generosity, I’ll be fully funded by the end of February and will be able to finish my race! If you feel called to join this journey with me, please contact me so I can keep track of donations and donors. If you don’t feel led to support financially there’s another way you can support me – by prayer! I’m asking that you would keep my squad on your mind, in your hearts and you will cover us in prayer. As these months continue, I know that God is going to transform us to be more like Him and lives will be changed – including my own. Talking to God is always a wonderful conversation because He is such a great listener.
Thank you all again for letting me share Jesus’ love. To be able to grow. To be stretched and remolded.
1 John 3:16
This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters.
