What do you see when you look at the world around you? When the news comes, immediately, infused in our minds is a visual of just how broken this world really is. Every other story is filled with tragedy, violence, or confusion. From the chaos in the Middle East to the outrage in our own country it seems as though it’s one thing after another. And these don’t even begin to scratch the surface. Hurt, pain, sickness, and hunger are all over the world. These experiences lie within the people we’ve never met, and places we have never traveled to. Then again, they could be our neighbors without us ever knowing.

Even our personal lives seem to consist of a lot of pain and sadness from time to time. The doctor called and it’s cancer. The letter came and the scholarship was offered to someone else. Your marriage isn’t what it used to be. You relapsed. You keep telling yourself it wasn't your fault, but the pain is still present growing exceedingly. 

Preparing for this trip can be unsettling at times as well. Since, signing up, I have dealt with a whole realm of emotions that have bubbled up within me that I did not know were there to begin with. Temptation has grown from Simba to a lion on steroids. There is a hard and messy side to the World Race, and I haven’t even left the state of Georgia. I assure my race has already begun. At times I feel

Confused because I'm leaving my family and friends for 11 months, and I am not sure how to live in the present

Discouraged because I can't seem to keep consistency in praying and worshipping God everyday

Fearful because Philippians 4:13 isn't so easy to believe when I focus on my past and current failures

These negative emotions and thoughts hang over me like a cloud. A mist of the unknown surrounds me. The Enemy’s attacks are sneaky and seemingly non-stop. My skin shakes from his cold whisper, "You can't do this. How dare you think God would even want to use you.”

But isn't it nice to know

                 that the lining

                                is silver?

In the midst of the clouds, God appears in the lining to save me from myself. Was it not God who said the man with the faith the size of a mustard seed could move mountains? Is it not God who welcomes back and throws a party for the lost son time and time again? Is it not the Good Shepherd who leaves the 99 to go after the 1 lost sheep? Was it not God who SO (over the top, bountiful, an unthinkable amount) loved the world that He gave up His one and only Son for it?