Sitting with Neal in Banff, Alberta enjoying the beautiful Canadian Rockies I made a comment - I have been talking too flippantly about the world, changing the world and reaching the world. Every time I travel this far I realize how big it is. The professor replied in typical fashion: Yeah, it's a dichotomy (division into two usually contradictory parts, had to look it up) it's big, but it's small.John Piper helped in Let the Nations Be Glad. He gave the illustration of coming upon a shipwrecked ocean liner with 1000's of people frailing away in the water. What a dilemma! How do I decide whom to save?
When we decided to spend a week in Canada, we decided by default not to spend that week any place else. We picked a group of people to swim toward. The only way we could do that is swim away from others.
What is the solution? How can we make a big world small? Acts 1:8 complicates the matter further, when we get the directive, go everywhere in the world at once, as fast as you can.
The answer is multiplication. Swim toward a group, invest in the strongest to help them swim toward and rescue the people in their group. Then, Acts 1:8, swim quickly to another group. Help others see do the same thing.
As we sat with Canadian leaders on Monday we were overwhelmed with them. We could not be so arrogant to think we could help them solve every problem. For every limitation, leadership shortage, geographical challenge, cash shortage, the professor and I will figure out a way to help. Yeah, right.
No, we will pick out a few, the willing, and yes, the strongest. We will invest in their vision to partner with God to reach their nation and beyond. They, in turn, will do the same. Then, we will we swim to other places. We will invest in strong networks and let them rescue, and we will swim to other places. The heart of God is supernatural, grassroots, multiplication. He gets the credit, only He has the capacity. No other way makes any sense. The world is way too big.
We plan by God's grace to swim home today. Big homecoming at the Senesi house. Cynthia first, then Airman David Mikusek, and finally me, Lord willing. Can't wait.
1 comment:
Could it be that God gives some of us speed boats, some canoes, and others big honkin' rescue helicopters? In any case, I think it is pretty cool to see where the currents and waves God moves us with will take us to just the right people...especially if we don't try to swim against it.
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