Adventures WorldRace SethBarnes Sponsorship Giving

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It’s been two months since I last blogged.
It feels like forever, if I’m honest.
 
The words have stopped flowing. Nothing seems like the right thing to say. I don’t know which story to tell first, or how to say what’s next.
 
But I want to update you, regardless of the gap in time, because I can’t get over the fact that I love writing, and that God is good, and that you have read these words faithfully this past year (or longer).
 
So I’ll tell you a little story from this past month.
 
Let me preface this by saying that it has been hard to be back in America. There have been times I’ve felt lost, abandoned, forgotten, purpose-less, and downright sad. I’ve been lonely, missing my squad and my teammates. I haven’t known exactly where I’m supposed to be or where exactly I’m supposed to go.
 
Despite that, Jesus is SO good. And he is constantly reminding me that all is well. That he hasn’t forgotten me, that he loves me, that he has a purpose for this time.
 

And this was one of those days.

 
There was a day, a few weeks past now, that my dad blessed me immensely with a huge gift. He bought me an iphone. Crazy awesome. Consequently, I went to the Apple store at the mall to buy a case for it, because I am constantly breaking things that I own. A case, therefore, was (and is) definitely in order.
 
While at the Apple store, I stared at the covers, debating between color, price, material, protection. Several different employees asked me if I needed any help. It seemed to me that they were slightly bored, for the employees outnumbered the customers at this point in the day. When I finally picked one, I simply turned around and stood there, waiting for someone to ring up my selection.
 
Cue Lewis. We talk about random Apple-related things, and he has the biggest smile ever, as though he couldn’t be happier to work there. Customer service stars awarded, for sure.
 
We got on the topic of school, and I told him that I had graduated last year from UW-Madison. He was curious as to what I’ve been up to and when I told him that I had recently come back from a missions trip around the world he got excited. He has heard of AIM, and of the World Race. Lo and behold – he’s currently in seminary here in the Twin Cities. At Bethlehem.
 
He noticed my tattoo. Better than that, he knows Greek and asked why I picked the word “Kingdom” to permanently ink onto my skin. Say WHAT?! We talked about Matthew 10:7-8, which says, “ As you go, preach this message, “The kingdom of heaven is near. Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy, drive out demons. Freely you have received, freely give.” We talked about Greek and Hebrew and Biblical history.
 
He has the 116-clique symbol on his right wrist; we discussed Lecrae and concerts and Jesus.
 

Best twenty minutes I’ve ever spent in an Apple store.
 
Here I was, going through the day, running errands, when God put a man in my path. A believer, a brother, an encouragement. A man who asked me what the coolest miracle I saw was, and what God did in my life. A man who was excited that I knew Jesus and wanted to learn Greek. A stranger who wanted to know the best and hardest parts of the Race.
 
I couldn’t have been more excited. It was a huge blessing to meet him and to talk with him.
 
For a second there I had been tempted to believe that the Race was a memory that I shared with my squad-mates and no one else. For a moment, I had thought that no one cared and that it hadn’t affected anyone but me. I swear Jesus put me in Lewis’ path to remind me that it’s not about me at all. It’s about the Kingdom. It’s about the Gospel. It’s about so much more than I will ever be able to put into words properly.
 
I have been reminded that Jesus knows why I’m here at home. That he has a reason for his timing and his plan. I was reminded that the Race isn’t supposed to be some experience that I put onto a shelf, and that the Holy Spirit is still relevant.
 
There are bigger things in store.
There are greater things in store.
 
I have found that the details are what matter right now.
 
Being back in America, there are countless gifts that I notice. The list goes on and on, but this was one of my favorite gifts I was given. A conversation with a stranger about the goodness of our Savior. Thank you, Lewis, and Apple, and Jesus.