By L.M., A SEND team member of Diaspora |North America
Partner development, or support raising, is where my ministry life is currently and can feel like a mountain climb. I recently had the opportunity to travel to Yellowstone, Grand Teton, and Badlands National Parks. I’m always amazed by mountains and their beauty. Many mountain analogies that apply to my current partner development process entered my thoughts as the mountains mesmerized me.
A mountain can be an obstacle. A mountain hike is accomplished just one step at a time, and it may be slow. Partner development feels like a mountainous hurdle for an introvert like me: I must take each day and each task one at a time to help me accomplish my goals even if it seems slow.
Valleys pair with mountains and can be equated to low points or times of discouragement, yet those valleys can be as beautiful as the peaks they split. I experienced the death of a grandparent recently, but at his funeral, I made a new contact that I believe will open some doors for my partner development process.
This has already given me access to church contacts I wouldn’t have had otherwise, and now I get to speak at a mission conference and share about our ministry. I only intended to say “hello,” but God used that to open a door wide open.
Stepping back and taking in the view, I can see the mountains as both quiet and strong, characteristics that resonate with and are a part of me. I might be quiet, but I am not weak. I find God’s peace in that. A peace I know is needed when I hesitate out of shyness to reach out to the next person.
Climbing a mountain can be intimidating, as can partner development. Thankfully, this trip reminded me of the beauty along the way in both. I believe God will amaze me with the beauty of what he is doing in this journey and one day will let me look back to see the majestic view at the end of it.
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