CHANGE: Why I’m Going on the World Race

C H A N G E :

This looks different for everyone. Change can bring a whirlwind of emotions, from anxiety to stress, panic, uncertainty, fear, and possibly even excitement. Each season will come and go, for there lies unexpected change. After I completed the summer of 2019 working at camp, I settled down into everyday life. Each day faded in and faded out between school, work, and even my relationship with Christ. As the fall was coming to an end and I had been occasionally working at Snowbird for retreats, I grew apathetic in growing towards the Lord. Once the New Year had come and gone, God had placed something on my heart in early January of this year. I was discussing the anxieties I had about my future with a friend over some coffee. Many of my worries were consisted of questions… Where do I want to continue school? What do I want to do for the rest of my life? Where will I be the happiest? Should I even get my bachelors after I finish my associates? Then my friend mentioned the World Race.

Change is unexpected in more ways than we can imagine, but trusting in God is the most reliable promise with the sweetest outcomes. As I was consumed with anxiousness about what the future held for me, God provided. He always does. My friend asked what I liked to do, for then I answered, “I like the outdoors, spending time with people, and God.” Then he shared with me what the World Race was. That was it. I went home and researched, watched videos, scrolled through social media and fell in love with the idea. As I was rushing through this with my mind set on it, the Lord told me to slow down and rest in His mercy. I prayed over applying for the World Race until mid-February, in which I spent that time in prayer surrounded by those who supported the idea. I was able to meet a fellow racer and hear about all her experiences, for now we are close friends and she is on my prayer team! I am so grateful for those that God has placed in front of me and He has allowed me to grow and change in just a couple of months.

I am the type of person who gets excited by change. Though it can be scary, change allows you to expand and grow. The World Race intimidates me in several ways, but this journey is something I will carry with me for the rest of my life. I want to go on the World Race not only because it is centered around the gospel, but because it gives me the opportunity to pursue something larger than myself. This is to pursue Christ wholeheartedly and to encourage others to do so as well. During the past year, I have realized that there is so much more than the simple life I have been living, which is to live out the gospel and what I have been called to do. Another factor that intrigues me about the World Race is the community that is built. God has shown me the importance of community and to surround myself with people who love Him as well over the past few months.