Running to a Crazy God

Laura Kurtz wanted to run from a lot in life (becoming an adult, changes, what her life was), and she thought a Passport trip was the perfect means to run away. Instead, what she found was much deeper, and more life changing than she ever expected.

When I signed up to go to Nicaragua, I was running. Running from reality, from growing up, from the future (futile), and mostly from fear. However, I didn’t run to a third-world country, or an orphanage, or even into the arms of a smiling child;

I ran to my Savior.

Francis Chan tackles this topic in his book Forgotten God, where he paints a better picture of the Church than I ever could:

The church is intended to be a beautiful place of community. A place where wealth is shared and when one suffers, everyone suffers. A place where when one rejoices, everyone rejoices. A place where everyone experiences real love and acceptance in the midst of great honesty about our brokenness.

This is exactly what I experienced with my team in Nicaragua. We gave freely of our possessions, shared in extreme happiness at the smallest of things, cried in each other’s pain, and exposed our utter and complete brokenness. And because of that, I have never felt closer to God.

 I didn’t live with 18 young women or 18 devoted servants; I lived with 18 embodiments of Christ.

I know what you’re thinking: that’s awesome, but you can’t have that in normal life. You can’t just talk about the miracles God has done in the coffee shop or break into spontaneous worship in the grocery store, people would think you were crazy.

But isn’t that exactly what people are supposed to think of us? Are we not to become fools to the world in order that we might gain God’s wisdom? For “we have been made a spectacle to the whole universe, to angels as well as to men. We are fools for Christ” (1 Cor. 4:9-10).  

I don’t have to say these things. No one forced me to spend hours digging through my bible for just the right references or crafting each of my words to spell out what I wanted to say. Adventures in Missions didn’t even require me to write this blog. But I’m doing it because I want to change, and because I hope some of you will change with me

I choose to live like I am in Nicaragua, like I am with my team, like I am quite literally the body of Christ wherever I go and with whomever I meet.

And may the world think me ever crazier because of it.

Even though Laura was running, she ran right into what God had in her life. Ready to run into what God has for you? Sign up for a Passport Trip now!