I’m sure we have all heard the saying, “Hurry up and wait.” We laugh as we say it at the post office while standing in line or mutter it during traffic. I heard it as a kid, and now it has taken on new meaning for me in this time of waiting and preparing for launch in January.
During college, I worked for a school’s aftercare program. A coworker of mine, who also went to the same college, brought up The World Race and told me all about it. He was looking into going after college. I had been on a short-term mission trip before, but the idea of going on missions for almost a year to a bunch of different countries was instantly something that caught my attention.
After doing research and talking more in-depth with my coworker, my excitement about the race quickly turned into worry and doubt. I was graduating soon and would begin making payments on my student loans, which were not a small amount. In my mind, I thought there was no way that The World Race would accept me as a racer with my student debt, and it was impossible to think of raising support for the trip along with money to pay off my loans in time to go. I let those fears take hold of my heart and gave up on The World Race. It was something I had written on my bucket list and accepted that it was never going to be crossed off.
Fast forward through college graduation, my first teaching job, and several years later, and a stirring started in my heart. I knew that change was coming and that God was preparing me for a new chapter in life. I searched for other teaching jobs in Florida and Minnesota, considered working at my church, and many other miscellaneous job ideas. While I was researching, my sister excitedly told me that The World Race had released their routes for January 2020. (She had been looking into going as well, so she had been keeping an eye on their website.) We both went through the routes and the Expedition route caught my eye immediately. As hope built, I tried to reason myself out of it. Then, my sister looked at me and told me to just go for it. The worst they could tell me was no, and I would have my answer.
Before I could change my mind, I filled out the applications for both The World Race and a position at my church. I decided that I would see which one got back to me first and use that to help make my decision. But God has a sense of humor, and both got back to me on the same day. Imagine my joy and confusion. I did interviews for both possibilities and knew the church position wasn’t the right fit which left me with the option I had wanted all along.
The World Race told me during my interview that it would take several days to come to a decision and that they would call back to either ask more questions, ask me to consider a different route, or tell me I was accepted. To my surprise, they called me the next day. The lady told me that she had talked to the head of the Expedition route and was excited to invite me to be a part of the squad!
Five years later, God had opened the door for me to finally go on The World Race! It was all in His perfect timing and that has been evident since January. What I had thought was a “no”, was a “not yet.” It was a time for me to grow spiritually and gain knowledge and experience before God would open the door for me to go on the race. God has been reaffirming my calling to this ministry over and over these past few months through people, circumstances, and finances. The things I deem too hard for me, are easy for God to accomplish. He is taking all my excuses and fears and showing me how He can overcome them all.
Signing up in January meant that I had a full year before I would be launching with my team to go serve across the world. This is plenty of time to gather my gear, start training, and fundraise. The hardest part right now is to hurry up and wait. If you are waiting for God to answer a prayer or work in your life, don’t give up. Stay focused on Him and know that He is working. His timing is always perfect, and He may answer in a way that is even more than you anticipated. The wait is 100% worth it!
