It's Okay to Be Scared

Tomorrow morning, Nate and I are leaving DC to bike towards NYC.  Over six months worth of commissioning, praying, and preparing has culminated into the moment we pedal out in the morning.  That is going to be the moment it becomes real.  I am kind of freaking out. Honestly, I'm scared.

I left Harrisonburg on Tuesday and got to Nate's house in Springfield (Northern VA). I hadn't been to NoVa before except for DC really so over the past two days I have got a good dose of life up here.  It's pretty sweet!  So many of my friends from JMU are from NoVa that I'm glad I got to come check it out for myself and see what all the hype was about.  I like it here.

Tuesday night, we went to REI (first in store experience for me) and got some supplies that we had left to buy.  Nate's parents blessed us with some sick riding jerseys and I got some spare tubes for my bike. For a wake up call and in complete irony Nate had a flat tire on his bike when we got home haha.

Today has been a day with all my favorites.  We started with time with the Lord, worked out, helped out family, went shopping, had dinner, watched hockey, took a nap, and had ice cream... today has been great! But everyone who has been reading blog posts and updates really deserves this post and I'm stoked to end my night by writing it.

Since God told me He would give me a bike, I have had zero doubt about going on this trip and God's provision but now I am scared.  Being scared is okay.

Jesus tells us all in Luke 9:23, "If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me."  When Jesus said this, no where did it say it would be easy.  The cross is death.  Jesus is commanding us to die to ourselves to follow Him.  That is pretty scary but that death isn't the end of it.  The best part about the story of the cross is that Jesus Christ, the Son of God, rose again in three days and offers eternal life to all who repent and believe.  He radically transforms our lives.  Radical transformation is change and change is scary.

When I return I will be different.  My beard will be back but that's not the change I am talking about.  The reason I am scared is that I know that this trip is going to radically transform my life. The Message gives Luke 9:23-27 in a little bit of a different way, "Don't run from suffering; embrace it.  Follow me and I'll show you how.  Self-help is no help at all.  Self-sacrifice is the way, my way, to finding yourself, your true self."  This version of what Jesus is saying in this passage is exactly why I am going to NYC tomorrow, to surrender to Him and find myself, my true self.

The reason I am so humbled by the way people are praying and supporting me is because they aren't just giving money to the homeless of NYC but they are making investments in my life in the biggest way possible and I promise you it's priceless and I will never forget your words, prayers, and support.

Ultimately, I want you to know that it is okay to be scared.  We are all called in the Great Commission to, "Go and make disciples of all nations."  We are all called to have a global view on making disciples.  God designed each and everyone of us to be passionate and have specific dreams.  It is okay to be scared but don't let fear stop you from doing God's Will.  Don't let fear stop you from finding your true self.

Don't let fear of death stop you friends, 

we have the greatest victory of all, 

ETERNAL LIFE.