Adventures WorldRace SethBarnes Sponsorship Giving

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Hazel, 13 years old.

I was sitting down at the canteen where we are staying and a young girl named Hazel approached me and asked me this, “are you a missionary?”.. My initial thought response was no, but I guess that‘s what I am, so… “yes.” She began to be amazed with me and tell me how she wanted to be just like me. ME?

Then she went on to tell me that she has a bucket list. #1 be able to give my family a good life. #2 have a heart for the lost. #3 Be a missionary. I was feeling about this small |—| (imagine that is the distance index finger and thumb are apart). My bucket list includes things like swim on a dolphins nose and be able to do the splits.

I could not believe the words that were coming out of this little girl’s mouth. She spoke with the wisdom and ease of an 80 year old woman. She said she has one fear of becoming a missionary. That fear is that people will not listen to what she has to say and, in turn, not know God.  I told her she was the most amazing 13 year old I have ever met and that I wasn’t even dreaming of the things she is doing at 13. I never dreamed of telling complete strangers about Jesus when I was 13- I don’t think the thought really crossed my mind. She stared at me as if I must have been a bizarre little girl.

She said, there are things in my character that God is wanting to perfect. So she began to tell me of a dream she had; God was embracing her and her friends as they were singing worship songs in heaven. Then all of a sudden something started pulling her away and she was losing her focus. She said, “I believe it was the devil.” Then, this is what kills me. She said she plays a computer game all the time and decided she needed to take it off the computer so she could focus on her schooling. Now she is getting honors in school.
How do I learn to be this obedient to the voice of God? She is so far ahead of the game.

She also had a dream about one of the girls who is an entertainer. They ended up going into the club and rescuing her… she got out of the business and now knows Jesus. Insane, I tell you.

She told me story after story about people that she has ministered to and people that she is still ministering to. I had probably fallen off my chair at this point.

She then asked me one final question: “If God gave you one hour left of life who would you spend it with?” I felt there was probably a better answer than the one I was going to give but I couldn’t really think quick enough… and for that matter, didn’t want to be dishonest. I said, “my family” then asked her the same question. She said, “I would also spend it with my family but just the first 30 minutes. The last 30 minutes I would spend with the people I have been ministering to so that they might have a chance of knowing the Lord through my life.” MAN ALIVE. Is this girl human? Haha. Yes. That’s the kind of heart I want… that’s the kind of heart that God loves… one that cares THAT much about people. Others. Oh, if I had even half the heart of that little girl.

AND just as she was about to leave and just as I thought I couldn’t be any more humbled she asks if she can pray for me. Please!

I love that God gets our attention like this. I love that He uses the people we least expect… a lot of the time, children. I love and hate feeling like this- but love what the result can be if I am obedient. One thing I want to make sure of is this: that I don’t take what Jesus did for granted. I never want the message of the cross to become futile. I want it to mean enough that there is an urgency inside of me to let others know- to know the hope of the cross. Because if I miss the cross, I miss everything.