On the road again!
I met the guys in Wichita, Kansas two days ago on their rest day. After enjoying a nice night in a hotel bed we hit the road at 6 am on Sunday, headed for Toronto. The guys finished early and we had a chance to sit around at our campground most of the day. I filled my time by getting lost in the world of Harry Potter and enjoying the beautfiul lakeside view we had from our campsite..quite a day!
It’s funny to be back on this trip. Sometimes it feels like I was never gone and other times it seems like I have started a whole new journey. Either way, the riders have done an amazing job getting this far, over half way and still moving!
When we were in the hot tub at the hotel on my first night back, we got to talk to a man with a pretty cool story. He and his family were in the process of moving to Prescott, AZ. It was ironic that we had just passed through there a couple of weeks earlier and this was a great opening to a conversation. I have a tattoo of a Chi Rho cross on my back and after seeing it, he asked us about religion. He told us a cool story of how God came back into his life after recent doubt…> A couple of years ago he was seriously contemplating whether or not he even believed God existed. He made a deal with him, saying if God sent him a Hawk he would know it was a sign that he existed and cared about him. Two years passed, but while on vacation not long ago this man came across a small nest of birds on the ground that had fallen from the tree shadowing it. The man immediately recognized the birds as Hawks (he knew a lot more about birds than I do). He and his brother raised these birds and fed them until they were strong enough to fly away. The birds found their way back to the man a couple of weeks later, landed on his arm and stayed long enough for another goodbye, and then flew away for good.> It’s interesting to hear stories of people making deals with God. Not every time does God return such a direct request. However, his divine nature can make the most random of circumstances chances to show his power.
We haven’t been praying for direct signs like the man I met the other day, but we do pray every morning that our ride impacts the people we meet. It is clear from the conversations we have had while trekking across country that God has a desire to show us the impact we’re making. Every conversation is laced with meaning and every opportunity we have taken to tell about our journey has been blessed with good conversation.
As humans we are made for relationship. God himself is in constant relationship, with himself. It is inate and it is necessary for our survival. This trip is so cool because it continues to show us that we are all connected through common experience. After all, it is our experiences that define us.
I pray my experiences will always define me, and that they will all be worth being defined by.
Press On,
Jordan Minton
