It’s been simultaneously a long time coming and a fairly short timeframe, but here I am – officially committed to the World Race mission trip starting in January 2024! Part of me can’t believe that this will be my life for the next year and then some – and yet, with the way God has been working in me, part of me isn’t surprised at all. Let me invite you briefly into the story God’s been writing in my life, and the way He’s been inviting me into His bigger Story…
A bit of background
Born and raised in the Chicago suburbs, I had the incredible blessing to grow up in a family with generational Christian legacy on both sides, and accepted Christ at a young age. I regularly attended church and youth group growing up and knew that service and a life on mission for the Lord were important (though only recently have I realized that I was coming from a place of obligation more than love – but that’s another part of the story!).
Honestly, I was more than content to stay in my little corner of the world and live on mission for the Lord where I was. But then, suffice it to say God got ahold of my heart like never before during college. I had a relationship with Jesus going into my college years, and purposely decided to attend a Christian college wanting to grow my faith, but WOW did He ever do above and beyond what I could have ever considered!
God’s transformative pursuit
God knew what He was doing when He brought me to college. He put me so purposefully in a Christ-centered environment that would not only grow my faith, but expand my horizons in faith. He put people in my path who would bring completely different perspectives into my life and help me see God for more of who He really is. Chapel services, church sermons, worship nights, late-night prayer sessions, and powerful moves of the Holy Spirit all opened my eyes to see that God was so much bigger than who I knew Him to be before – and that Jesus is the most worthy, the most wonderful, the most gracious, the most glorious Savior I could ever attempt to fathom.
Perhaps most of all, He helped me to know His love in very real ways: that John 3:16 isn’t just a groundbreaking declaration to the world, but it also specifically means that God – the Almighty, the Creator and Sustainer of the universe, the Holy One – loves me. And if He loves me, how much He loves you! How much He truly loves everyone in this world! When our identity is rooted in the reality of His love, everything changes (Ephesians 3:17-19). Over three years He so kindly and patiently grew my faith and my willingness to surrender to Him as He showed me more of His great love… AND in doing so grew a heart for the nations in me that I never imagined having!
Here we are…
Encountering the love of my Savior and the power of the Gospel has left me changed, and that for the better. Now, I can unreservedly say that knowing Jesus and making Him known is my greatest joy and highest priority. I want everyone to know this life-changing love!! The Lord has especially broken my heart for nations that do not know Him or even have access to the Gospel, and so as someone who knows the Truth and Love of God I cannot sit where I am in complacency any longer. In surrender I have said, “Here am I, Lord. Send me!” (Isaiah 6:8). Thus the World Race for me is a step of faith to follow where I believe with deep conviction God is leading, to actively participate in the spreading of the Best News Ever, and to discern more of what He would have me spend my life doing to further His Kingdom on earth.
As I find myself in this place, I’m struck by two things: the authority of Scripture and, therefore, the authority of the Lord and Savior of whom the Scriptures speak; and God’s patience with me to get to this point.
I believe that the Bible is the Word of God and it is trustworthy and true. The more I read it and understand it, the more powerful that statement gets to be – there are some convicting commands and unbelievable promises that God gives in His Word! For me, part of saying yes to Him and to the Race was truly believing His promises:
- that Jesus alone is the Way, Truth, and Life that all the world is in desperate need of, including myself (John 14:6);
- that He is my greatest protection and refuge (Psalm 91:4);
- that He is my ultimate Provider (Matthew 6:31-33);
- that He is the greatest comfort I can ever hope to have (2 Corinthians 1:3-5);
- and so, so many more.
If I truly believe that His promises are true – if I truly believe that He is trustworthy – then should I not be willing to trust Him with everything? If Jesus is truly worth it, to where as Paul said, “to live is Christ and to die is gain” (Philippians 1:21), shouldn’t I live like I believe it? Committing to the World Race, for me, is saying YES!
My prayer as I’ve considered and contemplated the World Race and all it involves has been for wisdom and discernment – that God’s will be done above all else, that I wouldn’t follow my will and desires but my Heavenly Father’s. But trusting that God is the One who has put this entire (admittedly somewhat crazy!) venture on my heart and then asking Him for confirmation over and over again has only proven His great patience with me, because He has been so faithful in answering my continual requests. He knew what it would take for me to say yes and walked with me until I was ready. And now, with Him, I’ve taken the first step of faith out of many!
Even as I do take this step forward, my prayer of trust and surrender continues to be along these lines written by Chris Renzema:
“I don’t wanna go if You’re not going before me…
Like Jesus in the garden / You don’t call where You won’t lead
I wanna love like You love / I wanna bleed like you bleed”
I know and trust that the God who has made ways in the wilderness from the beginning will continue to do so. I trust my Shepherd to lead, for He knows best.
If you’ve read this far – thank you for joining me on this journey. I hope you will continue forward with me to see where God leads, in my life and yours!
If you’re at all interested in joining this adventure of global Kingdom work with me by partnering in prayer or finances, feel free to contact me and/or visit my support page linked at the top of the page. Thank you so much!!
