On my American cross-country road trip the first long stop I made was in Minneapolis with Emily and her husband Ben. I met Emily back in 2014 in a university small group when she was an exchange student. Having moved out to a nice neighborhood and gotten married she’s light years ahead of me. I simply cannot keep up with the Joneses.
Having been on the road for a few days I have come to realize how lonely journeying through the sparsely populated country would be. You can fit everything in a suitcase and a car; heck, you can even sleep in a car. But you can’t fit friendship in a suitcase (you might if your friend was a contortionist).
The last time I visited Emily was two years back and so much has changed since then. Though I know at heart she’s always the outdoor-loving Midwesterner I’ve first come to know. She’s very fortunate to live in Minnesota where there are plenty of choices for outdoor activities and beautifully maintained state parks.
More than once, I’ve found spiritual strength in the way she conducts herself as a strong Christian and I find myself blessed to know people like her. She believes the best in everyone and assumes the responsibility of being a keeper of her community. She lives a life well loved and loves the life of others, too.
