Here I Am, Lord

Here I am, Lord. That was my cry over the summer when I was trying to discern the voice of God telling me to go on the World Race.

I had actually first heard about the World Race in 2017 when my youth pastor’s daughter had decided to go after she graduated from high school. As soon as I learned what it was, I was interested. I thought it would be a really fun thing to do and had periodically thought about it over the next four years, but it was never a serious consideration until this summer. I didn’t tell anyone that I was thinking about taking a gap year to do the Race. All I did was pray because I wanted to be absolutely sure that this was God’s will for me and not my own heart’s desire.

This summer was not any different than my normal summers, at least when it comes to the places I went and things I did. However, God had plans that I wouldn’t understand until the end of the season. At the beginning of the summer, my youth group and I went to a week-long Christian camp. We had an amazing time growing in our faiths and our relationships with each other and with God. There was an amazing speaker and band, and one day, after the morning session, we broke up into small groups to discuss the absolutely magnificent message. However, we were instead greeted with an entire cabin consumed in fire. The boys from my church were actually staying two cabins down from this one. Luckily, everyone was safe and no one was injured. This was a clear and physical attack from the enemy trying to distract us from everything that God was doing. Then about a month and a half later, we went down to Nashville for a week-long mission trip, but the night before we were supposed to leave, there was a terrible storm that caused everyone’s power to go out. There was even a tornado that touched ground in the city next door. Yet we still left in the morning, and we once again had an amazing week serving the Lord and His Kingdom. Immediately following this mission trip, I went to my summer camp that I have been going to for eight years now. It is two weeks long, and I spend four hours out of each day serving around the camp. This is the one thing that I look forward to every summer, but even in a place so concentrated with the Presence of God, I was not safe from the enemy. On the first Thursday that I was there, three people around the camp tested positive for Covid, but the camp decided to still keep us there over the weekend and keep the camp running because all of the other campers were leaving in the morning anyway. However, Sunday morning, as we were preparing to greet the new campers, we received the news that we were being sent home a week early. It was a shock to us all, but God still had a plan and was in control. When I was picked up, I learned that 14 out of the 20 people that went to Nashville came down with Covid, so of course my mind went to “I brought Covid here. I exposed them all.” However, I never came down with it and neither did anyone that I was at camp with. Now, this was obviously a crazy summer with everything that happened. The enemy was around every corner, ready to attack and try to distract from the incredible ways in which God was moving. But in each situation I was not afraid at all. I knew that God was with me and that He would protect me.

It was actually in Nashville that I finally said yes to God’s calling for me to go on the World Race. Wednesday night during worship, we were singing a song that I had never heard before. I obviously didn’t know the words but I tried to sing along the best I could. I wasn’t even really comprehending the words I was singing, but all of a sudden I broke down and started crying. I went to the bathroom and it was there that I felt a strong “Go.” So I said okay and immediately felt an overwhelming sense of peace wash over me. Later that night I went to the people who were in charge of the mission trip, and they prayed over me. I told my parents when I got home, and they were extremely supportive. Finally, after weeks or procrastination and continued prayer, I applied. Two days later I received a call from Georgia saying that I was accepted. I couldn’t believe it. I was going on the World Race! I finally understood why my summer was so crazy: God was preparing me to lean on Him and put all my trust in Him. I know that this is nothing in comparison to what I know that God is going to do on the Race, but it is a taste, and I couldn’t be more excited for what’s to come.

Here I am. This is the prayer of my summer and with which I couldn’t have received a clearer answer. This phrase is nothing if not significant. It is used time after time in the bible. Abraham said it before he became the father of Israel. Jacob said it before beginning the nation of Israel and before God saved Egypt through Joseph. Moses said it before liberating Israel from the oppression of Egypt. And many others. It is the answer to God’s calling. All I’ve ever wanted is for God to use me in incredible ways like these important people of the Bible. Now God is using me to share the Gospel around the world. I couldn’t be more thrilled to be blessed with this opportunity. And all it took was four simple words: Here I am, Lord.

With love and blessings, 

Ali