There are different kinds of working, but in all of them and in everyone it is the same God at work. – 1 Corinthians 12:5,6; NIV
For more than one year our family had been planning a trip to Washington D.C. The plan was to drive straight through, arriving in D.C. about 22 hours after departure form Minneapolis. Our family has done dozens of similar trips, most often without a hitch. This time, however, it did not work out as smoothly. About five hours into our trip the van stopped accelerating and then after a little while longer, it came to a complete stop just outside of Madison, WI. We were stuck at a truck weigh station at about 12:30 am!
About 12 hours later – after a little sleep, many phone calls, a 12-mile ride in a tow truck, and a fuel pump replacement – we were back on the road. The 12-hour delay turned our trip upside down in a lot of ways. The places we had planned to drive by in the night we instead drove by in the day. The places we wanted to see in the daylight we couldn’t because we passed by in the night. Not to mention the half-day lost. It was all kind of a bummer.
The idea that this little fuel pump could cause such disruption at first amazed me, but after some thought I instead became amazed at the countless number of little and big things which must function properly in order for a road trip to go as planned. There are so many parts that have to work properly, and in unison. Add in some external factors like drivers, road conditions, and weather, and a simple road trip seems like quite a miracle.
The work of missions similarly requires countless parts working together in unison. Consider the variety of people, skills, interests, and efforts that the Lord weaves together for this common purpose. Pray-ers, teachers, builders, business people, financial workers, prophets, givers, evangelists, men, women, children – some contribute a variety of skills, while some specialize in one or two gifts. It ris really an amazing thing to contemplate – such a range of personalities, skills and gifts, all working together as one body for one common purpose.
Some elements of mission work are like that little fuel pump: hidden but essential. Prayer is one of them; without it the entire work of mission becomes impossible. Thank you for your many hours of prayer! Please continue with us in prayer through these summer months. Prayer is the “pump” that makes everything go.