The Philippines is treating me pretty good. Theres not much to add this week because I gave myself time to relax this week. Everyone on my team volunteered to do everything and I just wanted to see what God would have me do if I didn’t assign myself to anything extra. I played basketball with kids a lot and got to have a lot of one on ones with guys. We are planing on having a Christmas party with all the guys and our team because it could be the last time that we see them and our team might get changed.
Everyone has been talking and worrying about team changes at debrief in two weeks(I know, time is really flying). Heres where I stand on everything. Im not nervous for the team changes or the destination change because Gods got my back. Im not going to worry myself about the future because its all up to God and what ever happens is supposed to happen. I could get myself all worked up about it all and then start thinking about what I’m going to do when I get home and if I’m gonna have a job or go to college or go on another missions trip or take more time off, but why would I do that? As the Bible says tomorrow isn’t promised, so don’t worry about it. I could die tonight(sorry for negativity but its true), or the end of the world could happen. Then I have wasted my day today worrying about tomorrow, and worrying doesn’t even help anything. Thats something that the race has taught me, not to worry about things that I can control and to let God do what he does best. Every effort of me trying to control stuff is useless and wasting time, and I don’t like wasting time. I call it living with a torch. You can’t see far in the future but you can still see.
The race has also taught me,”Its a yes until God tells you no.” That means that God put that opportunity in front of you for you to take it. If your not supposed to take it then he will tell you that your not supposed to. A lot of people waste time asking God if they are supposed to do things or not. I say just go along and do it and if your supposed to do it then he won’t stop you. Sorta goes along with the saying,”better to ask for forgiveness rather than permission.” Just mine sounds better haha.
Also, Gods also taught me to have fun in the things I do. There is always an opportunity to have fun and to make someones day. Its easier to make someones day over here because Im the only white guy they have ever seen but even in America its possible. You just have to go out of your way to be the weird guy that asks if he can pray for you, or the guy who lets someone go in line before them, the guy who sits with homeless people just to let them know that they aren’t forgotten. Even the slightest things can make a huge difference in peoples lives. Who knows what could happen if people start living for others instead of for themselves.
Heres another thing I have learned(yea I know, I have learned more here than I have ever learned in school for those 13 long years), to give people grace. God gives us so so much grace every single day but yet when someone cuts you off in traffic or forgets to add you into something or just makes an honest mistake we all act like its the end of the world. Give them grace and it will help your day be better and more positive and makes you feel like a good person because you did something that others don’t do. There have been a lot of times on this race where someone has done something that I would have replaced their face for in the days before the race. Trust me, I live with 5 teenage girls now, thats a huge difference to what I had before. People aren’t perfect and people don’t have to be, thats why we are people and not gods.
Lastly, for God to really work in your life you have to listen to him. I listened to him when he told me to sign up for The World Race even though I didn’t know what it was, where I would go, how I would raise the money, and that for a while I didn’t even want to go. I didn’t want to leave everyone I have known for myeline, family, friends, and the life that I was living before. I was accepted into college and had a good plan and knew people that were going and already there. Instead He called me to go across the world and teach people about him and to have fun with them and show them that He loves them. We have brought people to tears just because we set our lives aside for 9 months just so we could show them the love of Christ. I thought God was crazy for calling me to do this thing haha or I started having second guesses to what I might have heard. Maybe it was just gas from the meal I had or maybe I was just emotionally unstable an wanted to leave all my comforts I have ever had for some reason…..nope, it was God. I know it was him because He has taught me all these things about life and myself and so much more. I wouldn’t have ever got the chance to do all this and learn all these things if I wouldn’t have left my comforts.
I would like to encourage everyone who is reading this to go out of your way for someone and make their day even if it takes time out of your day. And to take the opportunities in front of you because God put them there for a reason. Also, Give people grace in everything you do and to have the guts and boldness to step out of your door and listen to what He is saying. I know that if everyone does these things then lot in this world and in your world will change for the better. Live everyday like it is your last. Ok, Ill stop being your motivational speaker for now haha sorry if I annoyed anyone with all this, I would have annoyed myself if I was looking forward to hearing about a volcano and then I just get called out to do all this stuff haha. The volcano plans and everything didn’t workout this week. Went t the beach instead and that was a fun time and very beautiful.
Thanks for praying for me, please pray for the ring worm I have on my shoulder and pray that it doesn’t spread……freaky. Alrighty, till next time!
