On my first day at the Center for Global Action, our group of apprentices were preparing to go on a four day hike through the mountains of North Georgia and South Carolina. We started the day off with a wonderful breakfast and a worship session with the Adventures’ staff. It was going wonderfully until….our speaker, Clint, asked the apprentices to go around the room and meet someone that we hadn’t met before. This task is highly outside of my comfort zone because I usually stay in my corner with a comfortable group of people. But if I wanted to stay comfortable then I wouldn’t have signed up to come to Georgia in the first place, right?
So I compromised. I turned behind me and made a beeline for the person closest to me. He was middle aged and seemed very approachable so I walked up and said “Hello my name is Aimee, what’s yours?” while holding my hand out to shake his. Immediately the people around us started giggling during our exchange. But I ignored it as he shook my hand and said “Seth” with a smile and laughter in his eyes. I was about to ask him what his role at Adventures was when it hit me like a ton of bricks.
This was Seth Barnes, the CEO and founder of Adventures in Missions. I felt my stomach drop straight through my body and into the floor. I was flustered and didn’t know that to do, so of course, I followed up with the very appropriate comment “…wait, THE Seth?!” Everyone around us just erupted in laughter and, tickled, he said “No, no, just Seth.” I just mumbled something unintelligible and ran away into my corner where I could hide and pick my ego up off of the floor.
I was beyond ready to climb into my van and run away into the woods at that point. As I took my seat for the drive there my housemate Anna, who had heard the exchange, sat by me and tried to sooth me, even though we were both laughing. Lesson learned. Do your research when you are about to get a new job, it’s probably important that you know who your boss will be!
During my hike, I sat on the comment of “No, no, just Seth.” This man wasn’t just anybody to me. Without him starting this organization, myself and hundreds of thousands of young adults would not have had their lives touched and changed by Jesus. This was a very important man to many. I am currently reading a book entitled Humility and in it is stated “Humility towards men will be the only sufficient proof that our humility before God is real.”
“No, no, just Seth.” Now I understand why he said those words. I hope that during my time here that I can embody a glimmer of the humility that Seth showed me that day. It isn’t us, after all, that change the world. It is Jesus, who we allow to use our bodies as vessels to do His works.
All my love,
Aimee
