Why the WR?

Why the World Race?  A question I often get that has a response similar to an onion: multiple layers with a tear or two… 

I wholeheartedly believe there is no such thing as a coincidence. It is simply the Lord walking YOUR path alongside you. If there is anything this last year has taught me, it is His timing above all else. I have learned to be patient and open, to be aware of His signs – because they are there, they always are — and ALWAYS say YES to the Lord.

As many of you know He paved my way to study at the University of Georgia last fall. These were some of the best and hardest times of life filled with many new friends and experiences. In theory, yes, college is supposed to be the best years of your life. This statement is not wrong, it is an amazing experience and a life-changing one at that. But I continue to feel as if the phrase “best years of your life” is not appropriate….it is one of growth and maturity bending and shaping you into the person you are and hope to become. Growing up, we are pushed into a world that says we must take life in a straight line: graduate high school with the best grades, graduate from an outstanding college, and go straight into the work force. With this in mind, it would be easy to see how this period of life can be the best years of your life, however life is never a straight line. 

Going to college and the “college experience” is so heavily pushed in today’s society that the main purpose is completely missed. It’s a time of discovery built up entirely of a student body trying to find their way in the world. The crazy part is, everyone is making it up as they go. I for one have no idea what I want to do in life, how to do it, nor the impact I want to make on the world, but I have peace knowing that the Lord is guiding my steps. It’s not easy, nothing worthwhile ever is but I’m confidently saying YES to the Lord knowing my path is hand carved by Him for His goodness. 

 As a college student, I completely understand, you leave the nest, you’re out from under your parent’s wing, not to mention little to no serious responsibility, and access to whatever your heart desires. The problem with this is, as teens we have this worldly notion that we are supposed to experience as many insane events as possible and college is quite literally a playground for young adults. Don’t get me wrong — you need to be a child, have fun, experience life – but the unanswered question is: what’s the limit? 

I came to the realization that, sure, I may have many stories to tell my children and grandchildren one day, but how many of these stories have glorified the kingdom of God?

So, without further ado, here is my story of how the LORD called me into discipleship:

I dedicated my life to Christ at a young age, I was and still am surrounded by a family of God-fearing individuals that have continually assisted me in my walk with the Lord time and time again. Growing up, I would say my family was very busy. Always racing to beat the clock, just hoping for a couple extra minutes to be thrown in the day somewhere. My parents worked hard to provide for my brother and I – as they still do – and we invested our time into school, sports, friendships, and our faith. Each shaping us into the people we are today with the foundation of Jesus Christ. 

After high school, I believe I can fairly confidently say burnout is a real thing and I was fried. All things college were hurdling forward at mock 10 and I’m not going to lie, originally, I thought I had been waiting for this moment for years, it was everything I had ever worked for, but something just didn’t feel right. I didn’t know why the Lord placed me at UGA or what I wanted to do for the rest of my life (still haven’t figured that one out), and I was leaving everything I had even known behind for the big city of Athens.

First semester rolls around, and I am having the time of my life until I’m not. The homesickness started to kick in and man was it bad. Nobody tells you when you move off, nothing is the same when you come back and many relationships you think will last forever just don’t. I struggled and struggled with that concept.

By spring semester, the big pond started to get a little smaller, but there was still something that just wasn’t right. I wasn’t feeling like myself ever and I couldn’t understand why. As the independent individual I am I thought I could do it all on my own. The problem with this is I had become so busy I had not picked up my bible in months. Church was not in the question; I had no idea where to even start. But that changed in an instant:

 I remember getting out Intro to Horsemanship class (10/10 recommend if you go to UGA) and absolutely breaking down in tears driving around aimlessly because I didn’t know what to do. I remember asking God what He wanted me to do, that His will be done, and that He make a change in my life. That very same day, in a night class I was very reluctant to take, He answered my prayer with a girl named Taylor Theobald and it changed everything.

Thank you Jesus, goodness he is just so good. 

The seed was originally planted all because of a YoungLife sweatshirt I wore one day that sparked our friendship. On the day of this plea with God, she invited me to a fellowship called HouseChurch led by college students in the home of college students. I decided to go and let me tell you, I was hooked. The spirit of the Lord was in that room every single Wednesday and I admire the individuals that lead the worship, the Lord moved through them in every aspect. I learned so much from them and I am grateful to call them my friends. 

A couple weeks later at HouseChurch, around mid-March, some of Taylor’s friends from the gap year program she took the previous year came and invited us to a fellowship night in Gainesville, GA at the Adventures in Mission base. At this time, I knew little to any information about the gap year program she took or what Adventure in Mission was, but the Lord pressed upon my heart to go. I dropped all my plans that Saturday and rode with Taylor and 4 other amazing God-fearing individuals to AIM. Let me just say the night did not disappoint, when I tell you I was in absolute awe at the way these people worshiped and gave themselves to God, I was hungry, hungry for the love and the word of the Lord. I just watched them worship and it opened my heart in a new light. I wanted to know what they had, and I wanted to know how to get it. 

From that moment on I could not stop thinking about the WorldRace (the gap year Taylor and her friends had embarked on the year before) and how it shaped them into the people they are today. I even texted my mom that same night and told her I thought I was being called to take a gap year. As you can imagine, that did not go down very well…. I started to do more research and prayed and prayed day after day for the Lord to show me if this was what He was calling me to do. My eyes were opened at the signs pointing directly to WorldRace, not just for me but for my mom as well, and by the end of the next week I applied to the program. 

The Lord has opened every single door for this opportunity to happen and looking back now, Taylor and I have talked about how this journey all started because she listened to what the Lord was calling her to do and said YES but also because I said YES to His invitation. So I will say it again, NOTHING IS A COINCIDENCE, IT’S THE LORD. I believe there is a reason you are reading this post today and if there’s one thing you take from it understand that it is not by chance. I challenge you to ask the Lord what he wants you to do with your life and sit back to see the signs and pray. Lots of prayer. He will send them – nothing is a coincidence.