I’ve been home from the World Race for five months now.
Sometimes it feels like I got back yesterday, and sometimes it feels like I came home five years ago. That’s kind of how the Race felt too. It was the shortest, fastest, most challenging, most adventurous, and best year of my life yet! I went from having never left the United States to experiencing cultures in 13 different countries around the world. I showed up to Training Camp last July with a very limited, boxed-in view of God, and, throughout the journey, God quickly opened my eyes to the depths of His love and grace. During that crazy year abroad, God stirred up so much in me. He ignited passions in me I didn’t know I had, challenged my ideas of what’s important, broke me down, and built me up. I finished final debrief a completely changed man from who I was at launch.
God wrecked me.
Then I came back to the good ol’ USofA. At first, the craziness of the Race seemed to follow me home. I was seeing friends and family for the first time in nearly a year, telling stories of what God was doing all over the world, traveling from city to city for weddings and reunions of all kinds, and soaking in the excitement of being back home. But the luster of it all quickly wore off. Being home, I kinda feel like Bilbo Baggins back in the Shire after his unexpected journey around middle earth; how is he supposed to conform to the quiet life of a common hobbit after seeing all that he’s seen?? (Little known fact about me: Back in 6th grade, I played Bilbo in my middle school’s production of “The Hobbit.” Try not to fan girl too hard.)
But in all seriousness, I’m not saying that I don’t love being home; it’s just that home has such a different meaning to me now. As I read in a missionary’s blog this morning, “Home is everywhere. Home is nowhere.” Within in a week of returning to PA, I was already itching to get back out onto the mission field (whatever that looked like). I found myself getting too comfortable and complacent living at home. It was time for my next adventure with Jesus. It was time to have a real answer for when people asked, “so what’s next?”
That’s where the Center for Global Action (CGA) comes into play. CGA is a second-year program at Adventures In Missions (AIM), the same organization that runs the World Race. Focused on launching me into my calling through community, discipleship, and apprenticeship, it’s a unique program designed to help me take what God has stirred up in me over the past year and channel it towards what God has created me to do. This opportunity will help me to discover and activate God’s call on my life, gain some professional experience in the AIM office, focus my development as a leader, worshipper, and missionary, and engage in a discipleship focused environment, all while surrounded by an encouraging, challenging, loving community of believers.
I actually heard about CGA while on the Race at month 8 debrief, and after a few weeks of consideration, I decided it just wasn’t going to happen. It sounded awesome, but I figured fundraising my livelihood and leaving home again wouldn’t sound too rational to family, friends, and supporters. So I just tossed the idea to the back of my mind for a few months.
Well, a few weeks after getting home, I went down to Project Searchlight (AIM’s World Race “re-entry” conference), and God confirmed several times that CGA was in fact the path for me. Huh… Despite all the rational explanations for why picking up and moving to Gainesville, Georgia wasn’t a “good” idea, I knew that that was exactly what I was going to do! But I felt so much peace and excitement about it! As I made the decision to pursue this exciting opportunity, God reminded me of a profound truth I had apparently forgotten:
Following Jesus isn’t always easy. Following Jesus rarely means making the rational or logical decision. Following Jesus doesn’t always make sense to most people. Following Jesus is hardly ever comfortable.
But following Jesus is always worth it, and following Jesus does offer life in all its fullness. Plus, as my squadmate Brittany said it, life with Jesus is more fun! 
So here’s to making the less rational, less logical, less sensible, less comfortable decision and following Jesus on this next great adventure!
If you’d like to hear more about my experience on the World Race, know more about my upcoming journey with CGA, or just catch up, let’s do it! I head down to Georgia on January 26th, and I’d love to grab coffee/food/anything drinkable/edible with you beforehand! And if you’d like to stay tuned for future updates/stories/happenings and aren’t already subscribed, click on that nifty little “Subscribe for Updates” button below my name/picture!
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Thanks for reading, friends!
