The Gift of Encouragement

I have only told a very select few people about God laying The World Race on my heart.  One has been on the race before, one I knew would pray fervently for me, one is a man of God with years of wisdom, and one happened to overhear me talking about the race at work.

In the last 24 hours or so, I have been flooded with encouragement from all of them since I mentioned the idea.

"Keep your heart open to whatever God wants to do because He's up to something and that's exciting!!"

"GOOOOOOOOO! Just GO! Don't look back! Please GO! You will not regret it! Learn from me and GO! I don't care how stupid or crazy or whatever it sounds like.  I don't care if your parents or friends think you're crazy.  I don't care if everyone thinks you're crazy.  Just GO!  He's called you so GO!  What you're doing right now isn't wrong and it can set you up for a future you may have never dreamed of because it'll give you every material thing you could want.  But this, this is where real life is found.  I'm telling you just say yes and let HIM figure everything else out. You tell Him yes and watch Him work.  It's 11 months, Lauren.  11.  Think how quickly the past year went by.  11 months is the blink of an eye.  It will be the best, hardest, ugliest, most beautiful 11 months of your life.  Just say YES!  That's your job.  The rest is on God and I'm confident He'll handle it."

"My devotional this morning was for you as much as for me!!!!!"

(Funny how that author uses the same 'sick to my stomach' reference I did just last night in my last post.)

"1. God doesn't need you to go on the World Race.  He doesn't even need any of us to spread the gospel because if we don't, the rocks will.  With that said, He is INVITING you along for the ride.  And because of that, you have the chance to say no.  2. Which leaves you at a crossroads.  This is how I felt before the race and I want to share it with you: It was like this... I have two options.  Option A - I can stay on the road I'm on.  Working, ministry, church, whatever.  And God will still be my Father and He will still bless me and life will continue on.  Option B - I can go on the World Race.  He will still be my Father and He will bless me... And He will blow my mind.  I mean, rock my world.  So I was like, 'well, God, when you put it like that...' So I know this seems like a complicated thing to decide on but it really isn't.  What it comes down to is if you want to experience the craziest, wildest ride with Jesus that you can imagine.  And you WILL NOT come out of it the same person."

I am freaking out.  I have no idea if this will go anywhere.  I don't know if God's plan is only to put the idea in my heart to start me down a path to show me that I need to go another direction.  I don't know if I will be leaving in September for the World Race.  I don't even know if I'll live to see tomorrow.  All I know is He is working.  And He is present.  And He is scaring me to death.  But I have to trust His plan and His calling.  Even if it is the most terrifying thing He has ever said to me.

My application is submitted.  Now we wait...