expectant

Even so it is that Christ, having been offered to take upon Himself and bear as a burden the sins of many once and once for all, will appear a second time, not to carry any burden of sin nor to deal with sin, but to bring to full salvation those who are [eagerly, constantly, and patiently] waiting for and expecting Him. 
(Hebrews 9:28)

Expectancy is a weird emotion to try to feel and sort out. I know I’m ready and excited for something, but I can’t quite put my finger on what that thing might be. I am impatiently looking forward to what is to come, but those things are still just out of sight. I am preparing to run with arms open wide into this newness, but I have no idea what exactly i will be embracing. 

These past few days at training camp in Gainesville, Georgia have been a whole lot. 

We have sat in five to six sessions a day soaking in information about how to be a good guest, exercising our gifts given by the Holy Spirit, what God’s plan is in missions and the part we play in His plan. We learned to embrace community, and ultimately what it means to live fully immersed in the Kingdom. People had said truth I’d never heard in ways I’d never heard it before. The Lord used those who work for Adventures in Missions, the World Race alums (aka our awesome squad leaders) who gave their time and money to pour into us these next three months and He used the fellow racers around me. I have been encouraged, refreshed and have a new found freedom because of all i learned during those days. 

We tried different foods from all over the world. Some were DELICIOUS and others were not so delicious but regardless, it was so neat to be introduced to multiple cultures. Some days we were scooping corn meal and greens into balls with our hands or trying to use chopsticks to pick up rice and eggs for breakfast or attempting to cut the thick sausages and potatoes with our forks. There were times when our heads had to be covered when we sat at the table and other times we could only use our left hand to feed ourselves. It was eye opening to see the small and big differences meals have around the world. Food is something every culture uses to express itself and life often revolves around these times breaking bread together. You see this in the scriptures revealed often by Jesus and His disciples. Laughing, talking, sharing stories, making memories and simply being in communion with this new family Jesus has given me. 

We experienced a lot of newness. We shared seven ports-potties with all seventy five race participants. We shared one giant room with fifty five girls and ALL of their stuff… which in case you were wondering is a lot of stuff. We experienced the dour pours and cold mornings of Georgia (well, they were cold to my Southern teammates but i was comfortable in my Chacos and flannel for better reference). The only showering that occurred this weekend was on the last night and we were each allotted ten minutes of on and off water. We met people from all over the country, from all walks of life and have all walked with Jesus in different ways. We learned the best new card games which also brought out the worst in a lot of us. We gained new perspectives on sharing the gospel and who Jesus is personally to the people around us. In all this newness, i learned that my God never changes. He is the same yesterday, today and tomorrow. 

We experienced the presence of the Lord. That is truth and every single person who attended training camp can attest to that. He was present in the intimate and fast forming friendships. He was in the cheers of victories and the shouts of defeats as teams competed against one another to take the Squad Wars champion title. He was present in the laughter we shared over meals and card games. He was present in the tears as hearts opened up and walls came down. He was in the prayers of His children as we watched physical healings and demons fleeing from the name of the Almighty. He was in the worship as we declared our King Jesus’ truth over the defeated enemy’s lies. He was there. He moved. And He will continue to be there and He will continue to move. 

So it’s really happening now. Like right now. And there’s a lot going on.

There is excitement. There is fear. There is preparation. There is the unknown. There is planning. There is restlessness. There is questioning. There is passion. There is moments of waiting and moments of moving. There is moments of being ready to go and move forward. There is moments of being ready to wait and to plant my feet where i am. There is confusion. There is uncertainties. There is hope. But most importantly, there is power in the name of Jesus and there is a promise He will fulfill. 

This is what i am expectant of: that He will finish what He has started. He has gone before me. He is there. And always has been. 

As i type these last lines i am 35,006 feet in the air at 9:12 PM on my way to Johannesburg, South Africa. The next time i take a step on solid ground, it will be on African soil. It is not my job to bring the Kingdom there, but to bring light to the Kingdom that He has already built. The same God i met in Johnstown, Ohio and worshipped in Gainesville, Georgia will be the same God i serve there.

And i am eagerly, constantly, and patiently waiting for and expecting Him.