This last week a few of us got to spend time on Crete an island of Greece, slow down and celebrate the year. A mixture of rest, beach time, shops and adventures. During my time there I began to think a lot more about home and reflect on the year. Lots of questions came to mind…How will I handle being home? Am I excited? Will I be sad? Man I am gonna miss this life. What will I do when a certain situation occurs? How will I answer everyone’s questions. Will people listen? Will I want to travel more? What if I don’t talk as much? These are good questions to reflect on.
But, I then began to have “spirally” thoughts like did I even learn anything this year? Will my squad stay in contact with one another? Did I make any friends? Will anyone reach out? Have I even grown? Etc. These quickly became negative and shamey.
I sat there with the Lord that morning on the balcony of our Air B&B in Chania. Just Me, the Lord, my cup of coffee and my thoughts. So many of them…
God and I chatted—
He whispered to me, “you know my voice, and some of these thoughts are not from me.”
God- “I am the Good Shepherd, you are my sheep, you hear my voice and follow it. My sheep “know,” my voice. You know the enemy comes to steal kill, and destroy but I come to bring life and life abundantly. Do these thoughts bring life? No, you are being very self critical. Don’t let the enemy take away what is a huge testament to me.
Again He said “My daughter, you know my voice.”
Me- You’re right, I do know your voice as I smiled big looking out at Crete.
After that I told God that this year is a lot to process all at once and I do not know what to do or what to think? Like what do I even do once I’m home?
Our conversation continued
God- “you know what you think?”
I said “What?”
God- “You think about whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things??.”
God- “I want you to think about these kinds of things regarding this past year, not all the what ifs or could haves.”
Me- “Okay, then what do I do?”
God- “What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me—practice these things, and my peace will be with you.” You have learned, received, heard and seen so much this year. And you know what? You just get to take those things home and practice them. Simple, just abide in my love.
Immediately I was met with peace. Gods peace that surpasses understanding. My mind calmed down and I had joy in my heart about the year.
A lot of Gods words in this conversation came from scripture. Specifically once I looked them up Philippians 4:8-9, John 10 and John 15. Many of these scriptures I read on the race. I know God likes to speak through his Word. That is something that has become more clear to me this year. Gods voice. He speaks through many things, but one way you can know for sure it’s Gods voice is if it’s scripture breathed. So, you may think I’m crazy, but God likes and wants to speak to us. We just have to be humble enough to listen.
Yesterday, we arrived in Atlanta, Georgia. It has been 11 months since I’ve set foot on US soil. Wow, what a year it’s been. Thank you God!!! We now begin a week of debrief at the WorldRace headquarters right where we started this journey. All three Squads that launched back in August will be there. We will have many sessions including some on re entry into states life. Debrief is also a time to rest, to worship, celebrate, and rejoice in all that the Lord has done. I am excited to continue to process this year and reflect on what I have learned for weeks, months and years to come. 🙂
Until next time,
Cass
PS: Our checked bags did not arrive with us in Georgia. They are delayed for a few days. Pray we get them! 🙂
PPS: See some of you so soon! Ahhhh 🙂
Oh Cassady, how you have grown! Gods words will always lead you down the right path….follow them! Dad and I have missed you terribly but have prayed every day for you as you glorify our amazing Lord! We are so excited to see you! Love you to the moon and back?? Mom
Wow! He is faithful …hard to believe you’re back already. But what an amazing journey! Some things He may ask you to use/share/practice immediately ..other things He may use as gifts for you to get to use the rest of your life. Grateful to see you tuning into His voice. It will never fail you.
Thankful He provided safe return.
You learned. You grew. You followed true north. When your Father and I returned home, a bit from T.S. Elliott made a lot of sense to me:
The way up is the way down
The way forward is the way back
And the end of all of our exploring
Will be to arrive at where we started… and know that place for the first time.
Cassady, I speak from a practical, been-there-done – it perspective. First, congratulations on A YEAR of so many experiences with God, new cultures, amazing experiences, wonderful friendships( that you’ll see again in heaven!), growth, and practical travel knowledge. Second, God will use this year’s spiritual growth for the rest of your life. You’ve learned answers to prayers, study methods, and God’s Word. (Matthew 5 is still special to me because we studied that ch when I was in Costa Rica as a 16yr old) Third, you are different now than 99% of the people you are coming back to. You’ve traveled to places they can’t find on a map, eaten foods, had drinks, smelled things, heard sounds, etc that are beyond understanding except to someone who has also traveled. Not to discourage you to share your experiences, but sadly, I’ve found few people who want to hear more than a sentence, or at the most, 5 minutes, of my experiences. But when you do find another who “gets you” and let’s you share, wow is it refreshing!
Fourth, you will use your experiences in your future. I used my Peru travels to teach 1st graders about the rain forest biomes ; my 3rd grade class had “passports” as we “traveled” and learned about continents; teaching at Sylvan, many times our articles would trigger an experience that I’d share with those kids – I have seen a sloth in he wikd;Koalas aren’t as soft as expected ;llamas on the Machu Pichu hillsides are fun to touch but have greasy wool, etc.
God has a plan for you, and it might change over time. After my summer mission trip as a 16 yr old, I wanted to be a teacher to missionary kids, I went to Bible college, I went to Brazil to do my student teaching ??, and while there, taught for a quarter for a teacher who needed a substitute while she went state-side for medical treatment. God needed me down there. And then He told me that I wasn’t going to be a teacher overseas, that He only needed me there for that purpose!
My early travels opened my eyes to having a world view that nontravelers lack. You will hear the news on TV differently. You’ll relate to kids and adults from other cultures in a special way. You will tell stories from this time to people for the rest of your life. 43 years after I lived in Guatemala for a year, I was just telling someone about that time last night!
My advice, don’t be discouraged by the many who won’t listen, but be excited by the few who want to really know about your experiences. You are a different person than you were a year ago, and it will take time to adjust to life that didn’t change much. Culture shock to the US is real! Finally, when you find a restaurant that tastes authentically like _____________, wow is that exciting! Lol.
Welcome back and I so wish I could sit with you for a WEEK and hear your stories. ???????? ??
what a sweet convo with God, thank you for sharing it!
And now you’re home, and I pray it’s going so well
LOVE YOU LOTS
Cass- what a great message to end the world race with and start re-adjusting to life in the US! Continue listening to God, and remember Life is ministry and ministry is life…no matter where you go or what you do, whether you’re at work, rest, or play. It’s been great sharing this journey with you!! Much love, Char & Mike