Waves

Living within smelling distance of the ocean gives us lots of opportunities to watch waves. They’re unpredictable. A high one may follow a low one, or there may be four or five low ones before another high one rolls along. They swell at different distances from the shore, then crest and break at varying points along the wave’s length.

The same can be said of life in general and ministry in particular. From August of last year to May of this year, we rode a huge wave of baptisms and church growth. The newness of our CPM efforts, the excitement of our workers, and the heart-preparedness of so many of their friends and relatives, were the winds that drove the wave. But since May, the winds have lessened. While we are still seeing some baptisms and new groups started, they are not as frequent as we had seen earlier.

So please pray for us. Pray for our workers - “let us not lose heart in doing good, for in due time we shall reap if we do not grow weary” (Gal.6:9). Pray for our new believers – “that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, so that you may walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, to please Him in all respects, bearing fruit in every good work” (Col.1:9-10).

Pray for those yet to believe – “that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened” (Eph.1:18). Finally, pray for me – “to be strengthened with power through His Spirit in the inner man…that you may be filled up to all the fullness of God” (Eph.3:16-19). As I spend these next few weeks in prayer, pondering, and planning, pray that I can better know God’s heart on how to “make disciples of all people” (Matt. 28:19).

Speaking of waves, perhaps you have read about the recent typhoon that hit Manila. Over 250 known dead and hundreds of thousands displaced as the worst flooding in 40 years swamped this mega-city of 15 million Filipinos. They, too, need your prayers. Many Filipinos live ‘hand-to-mouth’ and this kind of loss is devastating. Fortunately, we here in the mid-part of the country were spared the brunt of the storm, experiencing strong winds and rain, but only minor flooding.

And then there are the waves that you are riding. For those of you who are in the waves’ trough, remember that waves are known for their brevity; pain usually passes after a short season. If you are enjoying the waves’ lift, know that the same God who blesses you on the rise is the same God ready to carry you on the fall. For rising and falling, that is the nature of waves.