Well Parents, Get Ready and Buckle Up!

Well, parents of Passport Racers, buckle up!

Because you are in for the ride of your life.

How? Why?

Because when your daughter returns from The World Race…

She will be forever changed.

Just as she was called to go on The Race,

Since before the beginning of time,

She has been called to ‘Live Life Differently.’

To live boldly.

And you can bet she will.

She may live it differently than you would expect.

And she may live it just as you expect.

Only God and your Racer know that.

How do I know?

Well, I welcomed home my second World Racer last June.

(You can see the welcome home video here.)

Yes, I am a two time World Race mom.

And just after welcoming home my second daughter,

She launched again……

With your daughter.

On the Passport team.

To Africa.

To change even more lives.

Why?

Because, she, along with your daughters, are truly ‘called and chosen.’

By the Almighty.

You may be thinking, but I thought this may have been like a mini vacation for my daughter. I mean, she just graduated high school, didn’t really want to go to college right away, if at all, and ran across this adventure of a lifetime.

Well, all that may be true.

That is, EXCEPT the ‘mini vacation’ part.

(Lesvos Island, Greece, refugee camp)

But, what may be the real truth here is that you may not understand how God molds World Changers.

It sometimes takes a physical journey to complete a spiritual one.

How He instills a great longing in them to do something different.

For Him.

For the Kingdom.

And that the possibility of doing anything less,

Is virtually impossible.

You may not understand the comfort of knowing that your daughter is in God’s hands and out of yours.

I know I didn’t.

I’ll admit it. It’s an adjustment.

For me.

I mean, both of my daughters went from years of homeschooling together.

Family dinners gathered around the table.

Holidays spent together.

Three inseparable siblings.

Soccer. Soccer. And then more soccer.

Full ride college scholarships.

Multiple degrees in Education, Engineering and Business.

And lucrative, post-college, full time job offers.

To fundraising. Fundraising. And fundraising some more.

To living life out of a backpack. With just a tent and a sleeping bag.

On about $5 a day.

Without the modern conveniences of the U.S.A. that we have taken from granted our entire lives.

Clean water.

Adequate plumbing.

Clothing. Not just clean and/or warm. But just clothing, in general.

Comfortable sleeping arrangements.

Family. Family. Family at their beckon.

Wi-fi for connecting on a moment’s notice.

Personal income.

And a host more.

In our culture, we are encouraged to acquire things, but Jesus said to leave our things behind and to take up the cross and follow Him.

To become dependent upon Him.

When Bethany casually told me, via a phone call that I initiated, that she turned down a full time position with a major Corporation to relaunch on The World Race Passport team, I was a little surprised.

I had been mowing the lawn when she had returned my phone call. I hadn’t heard from her in the week since she had returned from Atlanta after her squad reunion, and was wondering what was up.

Then she told me.

And my comfort zone suddenly became uncomfortable. She had accepted a corporate engineering position months ago, while in serving on The World Race, and this company had been waiting for her arrival. And. And. And.

And then, the Lord calmed my heart. My head. My mind. My emotions.

And I heard that still, quiet voice say, ‘Isn’t this what you raised her for? To follow Me?’

And I said, ‘Yes, it is.’

And I told her, “Wow!” And that I was happy for her.

And I was.

And I still am.

Although I was surprised, I was not shocked and yes, this is exactly what I had raised her for.

To follow God’s leading in her life. To be a life changer.

As her years of education passed through my eyes, and MY vision of her life slowly faded, I immediately KNEW.

That she, again, was called.

‘For Such a Time as This.’

To be with YOUR high school graduates.

On the global mission field.

To Change Lives for the Kingdom.

My vision of her life is technically unchanged. It’s just different.

She’s doing just what I raised her to do.

And what Jesus has called us all to do.

Follow Him.

With her whole heart, mind, soul and strength.

And to leave the rest up to the One Who called her.

And that includes…..

Finances.

And my comfort zone.

And my empty arms.

I know Bethany will use both of her engineering degrees for the Kingdom.

Having worked in academia for many years (both in homeschooling and now at a public university), I have learned that any time spent learning, is time well spent.

And this….taken from a blog post I wrote when Bethany was on The World Race last year… (You can read this blog here.)

“I mean, if Bethany is called and chosen to be walking out God’s  plan for her life on a global mission field, every answer to any and all of these questions should be sufficient and good.

God didn’t say, “Go into all the nations and preach the Good News, but only if you are going to be safe.”

He did NOT.

And I rest.

Knowing she is where she is supposed to be.

Do I miss her?

You bet.

Do I relish every single photo, face time and word she messages me?

Holy Smokes, YES!

And yet, I sleep well at night.

Knowing her journey of hope and salvation is being walked out in Eastern Europe. (Now…Africa)

Knowing she is in fantastic hands.

Jesus’.

Knowing that she and her team have meshed like 6 peas in a pod.

And I am happy.

As I read Bethany’s blogs, I think of how much she is growing.

Into herself.

In the Word of God.

In her walk with Jesus.

And into His Word made flesh.”

 

So Passport moms and dads, brothers and sisters,

Know that your racer will return changed.

And you will be, too.

(My eldest met her husband on The World Race, so I now have three World Racers in my family)

From L-R: Joy (Y-Squad ’15), Nathan (Y-Squad ’15), Bethany (X-Squad ’17, Passport ’18)

For the better.

And that she is safe in the Hands of Jesus.

Where you originally entrusted her to be.

And that she is called and chosen to be His voice of compassion and comfort to those less fortunate.

So that when that day finally arrives,

She will hear those words that we all long for,

“Well done, Thy good and faithful servant!”

(Parents, know this. Your children are covered in prayer every hour of every day during their Passport journey.)

 

With much love and prayers,

Shari Grayczyk, Two-Time World Race Parent

 

 

bethanygrayczyk.theworldrace.org

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