I’ve come to find that being transparent is so much more difficult than being vulnerable. We’re vulnerable about those things from our past that we have found healing and freedom from. For example, I’m very vulnerable about the fact that I used to struggle with an eating disorder. I now share about that part of my life because it is a huge part of my testimony and I know that the freedom I’ve found brings glory to my Heavenly Father.
Being transparent is a completely different story. It can be scary because it is something that is still happening, and you are currently facing it rather than it being a thing of your past.
Well, I want to be transparent with you right now...
As you know (and maybe for those of you who don’t) I am currently on my 10th month of The World Race. In other words, I have been away from my home for 10 months. I have been away from my family and my friends for 10 months. Sometimes it feels like the time has flown by and other days I feel as if this time is never going to end.
What I want to be transparent with you about, is homesickness. Webster defines “homesick” as a longing for home and family while absent from them. Me being here in Rwanda, I have found I’m longing for where I live back in the United States. I’m homesick because I want to be reunited with my family and my friends.
Being homesick can be a distraction here as I am trying to serve, and as I am trying my hardest to remain present. As I have been praying about my homesickness with God He has revealed to me that my homesickness is okay and in fact we should all be homesick. I should even be homesick once I return back to the United States after The World Race is over.
In the Bible we often see the term “sojourners” in the Old Testament and it is referring to the Israelites as they are making their way through the wilderness to the promised land. A sojourner is a traveler from a far off land.
Over the course of this trip I have come to realize that each and every one of us is a sojourner. We are merely travelers passing through this land, passing through this life, and this is NOT our final destination.
We were put on this earth with a God given purpose, and we GET the opportunity to make the most of the time that we have on this journey of life.
In other words we should ALL be homesick. We should ALL be longing to get home so we may hear our Heavenly Father say “well done my good and faithful servant” when we get to heaven. And that’s because heaven is our one true home.
2 Corinthians 5:1-10 tells us all about how heaven is our true dwelling place and earth is merely a tent that serves us while we are passing through to get to our final destination. In other words this world is NOT our home, and we GET to take delight in that fact.
I have clung to some key verses while I’ve been on The Race. One of those verses is Hebrews 12:1, specifically the part that says, “let us run with endurance the race set before us.” I often used this verse in regards to the current Race that I am on, but that’s not what it’s talking about. No, this life is a race that God has us on and we must keep our eyes fixed on the end goal. We must keep our eyes fixed on the finish line, on our final destination, on our one true home. And that home is in eternity with God.
In this world we will face troubles, we will have trials, the homesickness will come but that is because we are in this world but we are NOT of this world. This world is not our home, only part of our journey to get there.
So I just want to encourage you to remember that this life that we are living is the true race, but we won’t find our finish line here. I want to challenge you to keep your eyes locked on Jesus as you run this race of life because when you reach the finish line, when you reach eternity’s door in heaven, will you hear God greet you at that finish line by saying “well done my good and faithful servant. Welcome home!”?
Sending all my love direct from Rwanda,
-Meagan!
