It’s our last day of squad debrief in the beautiful city of Nelspruit. We’ve been staying at a hostel racers call Crazy Dave’s. The past four days have been a time of rest, reflection, and prayer for our last month on the field. The Lord has been speaking to Csquad and myself so strongly during this time (maybe because we’ve taken time to slow down and actually listen). My heart has felt refreshed and filled with so much joy that the Lord has given me this beautiful life to glorify Him with. We sit down for our morning session. Khurry, one of our leaders, ask us to close our eyes and starts to read us a blog written by a previous racer.
“You’ve been on a long, wandering journey (days, maybe even years), walking with all your luggage and you come up to a welcoming cabin. There’s two rocking chairs on the wooden porch, you realize one of them is meant for you. A male is waiting for you on the porch with a relieved smile that seems to say ‘I’ve waited my whole life for you to get here.’ You slowly walk up to the cabin and the man greets you, taking your bags from you, speaking so softly and gently. He places your things in front of the door. You look at the front door and realize it’s a perfect outline of your body shape, made for you. JUST you, empty handed.”
Khurry prompts us to take a few moments to envision the rest of the story on our own, letting the Lord use our imaginations to speak to us. Afterwards, I journaled where the Lord took me.
I walk up to the house with an unease. I feel comfort from Jesus but I’m not quite ready to give things up just yet. I sit my stuff down on the porch, hesitantly, and step into the entrance of the house.
I continue to keep an eye on my stuff, looking around at the open kitchen and living room, always glancing through the me-sized hole in the door at my possessions I’ve acquired. I stand in the entrance knowing there’s so much of the house to explore but not wanting to go within eye distance of the things I’ve left at the porch.
Jesus walks down the straight hallway, opening the door to the first room. He motions for me to go inside with Him. I walk hesitantly forward, making it to the door. But it’s okay, from there I can still see my stuff through the door.
I look into the room. It’s empty. Nothing but a square room with beige walls and warm lights (coming from nothing it seems because there’s not lamps or bulbs above).
It’s just light. It’s an inviting place. Full of comfort and peace.
But it’s full of nothing to do. No activities, no people, nothing that would seem worth while for a human to enjoy.
I stand in the doorway looking back and forth between Jesus in the room and my stuff on the porch; not knowing if I was ready to step into the room, out of sight from all of my things that have become a comfort for me. But the room looks so cozy and restful. “Man, rest sounds so nice right now”, I think to myself. Jesus motions me inside with Him.
“There’s so many more rooms upstairs I want to go to”, I think in my head. Then Jesus says out loud, “This is the one we need to start with. The others won’t be as meaningful without knowing this one fully first.”
I open my eyes, feeling the presence of this holy encounter still with me.
If you want to read the beautiful, original words of my friend Jenna, go ahead and be blessed. https://jennawatry.theworldrace.org/post/are-you-in-the-house/
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