Posted in Pre-Race by Ali Kendrick on 5/14/2012
I’ve tried to approach the World Race honestly, questioning myself and pushing myself to really evaluate what I’m doing and why I’m doing it. And in doing so, I’ve put a lot of thought into what could hold me back, knowing that if something has the potential to keep me here, I can rest assured it will be used against me.
If you have been keeping up with my blog, you've probably read “Burn the Ships” and you’re thinking, “Didn’t you already go over this?” Well, yes and no.
I have thought about what things have the potential to keep me here. I’ve considered family, friends, comforts, my church, my plans, and my weaknesses. I’ve thought about what I’ll have to sacrifice and what new challenges I will be encountering. And I’ve come to the conclusion that none of these things will keep me from going on the race. I’ve been called. I’m going.
And I think I’ve had a confidence in the fact that I wouldn’t trade this opportunity for anything. I’ve seen others pull out for different reasons, and every time I have thought “There is no way I could ever pull out of this. This is happening.”
But now that I’m approaching training camp, I’m seeing a little more of the battle I will be facing. And it isn’t just about leaving. When my plane takes off in July, my battle will be about what I’m holding onto while I’m gone.
I’ve been careful about how I approach the race thus far because I haven’t wanted to live the race before I’m on the race. But the opposite is true too. I don’t want my mind to be at home while I’m on the race. I want to be fully engaged, living my life on purpose- - whether that’s in Ireland, Tanzania, India, or home.
I don’t want to miss a single opportunity. I want to fully embrace what God is about to do. But I can’t do that if I still have a hand held tight in America. To get the most out of the World Race and to make the most impact possible will take full surrender.
And I already feel like there are things I’m struggling to surrender. Things that I’ve accepted I have to give up, but that I still feel very connected to. And if I'm honest, things I'm still holding onto tightly.
And my fear is that if I don’t surrender, I will lose so much of what has been poured into this race. And there have been so many people that have poured prayer, support, and encouragement into my race. I don’t want to lose any of that because I’m longing for anything here.
As you continue to pray for me, please pray for the strength to really surrender everything. I want to live the race with everything in me, not just the part of me I’m willing to give up for 11 months. Because the truth is, when real surrender happens, I step into the best life ever. And nothing is impossible when you're living the best life ever.
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Posted in General Posts by Ali Kendrick on 3/25/2012
“Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.” Galatians 6:9
Nobody ever told me that the World Race was easy, and honestly, I never imagined that it would be. I knew there was a trust factor involved…a dependency on God that would be imperative throughout this process. No question about that. I knew the race would involve times of loneliness…that not everyone would understand why I’m doing what I’m doing. But I’m thankful for those who do understand. I knew it would require me to sacrifice my time, finances, and personal comforts. I have been prepared for what it would cost me.
What I didn’t prepare for was how much it would cost others. As I look at my World Race account and the funds that I have received, I am blown away. God has been so good, and it has been through YOU that He has been providing. I see the sacrifices so many of you have made so that I can go on the World Race. Please know that I do not take it for granted. I am aware of the sacrifices, and am completely humbled by them.
When I think about my journey, I realize that a year ago I would not have been ready for the World Race. And a year or two from now may be too late. This is a very pointed time in my life...an open window for right now. A window that is not only open for me, but I believe for each of the 11 countries on my route as well.
There is no mistake of the importance of right now for me. And with that realization comes a weight. I don’t always feel ready for the Race. But as I have said so many times…this is the next step in living my life on purpose. And I intend on taking that step in confidence.
As I look at the names of everyone who has donated or bought t-shirts or bracelets, I realize that I’m not just running this race with the H-Squad racers…I’m running it with everyone that has sown a seed into it.
And I hope that you realize how big that is. You have not just sown a seed into Ali Kendrick. You have sown a seed into the kingdom of God. And trust me, the reaping from that seed is far greater than any "thank you" I could give.
My prayer is that you will reap over and over again everything you have sown into this race: in your life, in your family, in your dreams, in your health...in every area of your life. Know that I am praying for you, believing that God is going to be faithful as He always is.
Thank you for joining with me. Thank you for your support. Thank you for your prayers. I am living the best life ever right beside you. And I couldn’t ask for better company.
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Posted in General Posts by Ali Kendrick on 2/18/2012
Luke 14:7-11: When he noticed how the guests picked the places of honor at the table, he told this parable: “When someone invites you to a wedding feast, do not take the place of honor, for a person more distinguished than you may have been invited. If so, the host who invited both of you will come and say to you, ‘Give this man your seat.’ Then, humiliated, you will have to take the least important place. But when you are invited, take the lowest place, so that when your host comes, he will say to you, ‘Friend, move up to a better place.’ Then you will be honored in the presence of all your fellow guests. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.”
My last blog ended with a prayer that has proven a little more painful than I thought it would be: "Search me and know my heart. See if there is any offensive way in me. If there is, cut it out, remove it and lead me in Your path because that’s the only place I want to be."
Take the least important seat. Not an easy lesson to accept, but definitely one that God is teaching me. I’ve found that the steps to God’s kingdom are upside down. To go up, you have to go down. To be great, you become the servant. But it’s not always easy to accept the “lowest place.”
I look at the life of David: he was anointed as king of Israel, and he knew it. Whether he thought he was ready for it or not, it happened. Then he just waited. Saul was still king. Sure, God rejected him, but he had been God’s anointed one. So David waited…
And he ran. God anointed David king, and then David had to run to save his life. Wait a second. If God gives us something as great as kingship, shouldn’t we just walk into it and be awesome? Why all the struggle for something you’ve already been given? Why all the running?
David had to accept the lowest place. Given the opportunity to remove Saul from the picture, David stepped back. He was willing to take the least important place. He was willing to be a king running for his life and hiding in a cave rather than a king who demanded what was rightfully his.
One of the hardest things to do is give someone else the seat of honor when everything inside you feels like they don’t deserve it. Or, like David, when God promises you something, but you have to wait for it. And maybe you have to run for your life, struggling and wondering what the whole timing is on this thing. You know that God is there…there are no doubts about where He has called you. You know that God is sovereign…He’s very aware of the situation. Sometimes, what we don’t know is how far this staircase goes down.
I don’t know how well I’m doing at the taking the lowest place, but I know it’s where God is telling me to be satisfied. God has told me to give someone else the honor, but one of my biggest struggles is watching the one sitting in the place of honor, knowing that we were both invited.
So my prayer continues…God, this hurts. Bad. I didn’t expect this, but it’s where I am. I know you’re sovereign. I know I’m not forsaken. Help me to remember that I have been invited, and even in the lowest place, your presence is very real.
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Posted in General Posts by Ali Kendrick on 1/16/2012
“Search me, O God, and know my heart…See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.” Psalms 139: 23-24
I have this idea in my head that if I don’t know “it”, then I can’t be held responsible for it. So sometimes, if I’m really being honest, I don’t want to know. If I don’t know there is pride or anger or envy in my life, then what can be expected of me? If I break the rules because I don’t know the rules, then I’m still innocent, right?
And sometimes I find myself pretty satisfied with where I am. Truthfully, I know there is something in my life that needs altering…that I can be better, closer to God, more Christ-like, purer. But if I don’t look inward to see what’s holding me back, then I can’t change it—so I remain where I am, happy because I’m ignoring the offense in me.
But then I’m also missing out on all the awesomeness that could be if I just owned up to it. Fighting a battle and winning usually comes with spoils. So I’ve found that praying for God to search my heart can be a challenge. Why? Because I know that I’ll encounter stuff I don’t want to own up to, and I know that there is probably a process involved in overcoming it. But I also know that I’ll take some epic steps forward if I do.
Sometimes it’s easy to think about the struggles of the World Race: the sacrifices, the lost comforts, what I’ll miss while I’m gone, even the bugs- - all the costs of the Race. And sometimes all the future struggles push the current struggles out of my mind, and I forget that right now I have battles to fight and changes to make.
In a little over 5 months, I’m going to step into a new arena…all my ships will be burned and the only thing I’ll have to hold onto is Christ. I don’t want to reach that point and realize that everything I haven’t faced is preventing me from doing what God has told me to do.
My prayer? Search me and know my heart. See if there is any offensive way in me. If there is, cut it out, remove it and lead me in Your path because that’s the only place I want to be.
There is nothing so great in me that God cannot conquer it.
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Posted in General Posts by Ali Kendrick on 12/26/2011
“I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me…forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on…” Philippians 3:12-13
In 1519, Cortés landed in Mexico with a fleet of 12 ships. His aim was to conquer the Aztec Empire. Whether legend or truth, the story goes that Cortés burned the ships to prevent his men from retreating. They were there to conquer.
I think Cortés was on to something here. He gave no option for retreat. The plan was to push through to victory—no alternative, no turning back.
Looking forward to July 2012, there are all these ships that can keep me here. Things that are familiar and safe and comfortable: my family, friends, church, holidays and yes, even my closet. Ships that I know. Ships that I don’t want to give up.
But that’s not the life I’ve been called to live.
I want to burn every option for retreat. My goal is victory..a goal God has promised through His word that I would see. I’ve wrestled the seas and waves trying to hold me back from this point, but in July, I will step out to a new adventure. I don’t know what I will encounter, but I know victory is my outcome.
Like Paul said, I forget what is behind and strain toward what is ahead.
Burn the ships. I came to conquer.
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Posted in General Posts by Ali Kendrick on 12/20/2011
Every racer has this story about how they got to the World Race--signing up for 11 months, leaving everything they know behind, living out of a backpack, and joining with people they don't know to impact more people they don't know. And it may seem like a crazy idea or like it requires too much sacrifice, but for me, this is just the next step in living the Best Life Ever! Check out my World Race story...
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Posted in General Posts by Ali Kendrick on 12/1/2011
The World Race. Best Life Ever.
I have sat in so many services where the speaker told me that I was great and that God had this awesome plan for my life. I could do great things and really impact the kingdom of heaven. And I believed them. All of them. I knew God had something great for me.
And I think most people have that idea. We grow up thinking that awesomeness drips off us...that we will be and do something great. But then something happens. We go one of two ways. We sacrifice and work hard to be what we dream of or we settle for a normal life. We give up the dream of doing something incredible. And we are okay with it.
Because I work with young kids and students, at 24 they consider me old (silly right?) But the stickshift thing about God is that it doesn’t even matter. No matter how old I get, God always has a plan for me. There is no age or situation limit to greatness.
So signing up to spend 11 months away from everything I know, living out of a backpack and joining with people I don’t know to impact more people I don’t know may seem crazy, but the alternative is to chose the normal route, live a good life..and be okay with it.
A good life may sound tempting, but I want to live life on purpose. I want the BEST LIFE EVER!!
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