Randy, I loved this perspective. How we measure “success” is so shaped by our culture and obsession with ROI’s and measurable outcomes, but God looks at the heart. Any work faithfully done for the Lord is not wasted nor futile. My Great Aunt shared that when she was poor the church was the one place that offered her food and safety as a child. She only ever showed up for the social services, but would convert 60 years later and become an evangelist herself. When she shared this, I thought of my friends in Yuchi who have poured so much into the children of the village but haven’t seen much immediate fruit. Who knows how God will use their faithfulness in the decades to come? I’m so encouraged your faith empowered you to uproot your lives to become a missionary!
I think that's why I loved doing youth ministry back in the States. It's a lot of sowing but you know God will use them for great things in the future!
One of the things I'm most looking forward to in heaven is seeing how even small choices or sacrifices we made created ripple effects in people's lives and eternities that we won't ever know this side of heaven
I can't decide what to say to you but I will tell you a couple of stories. At my point in life, 68, I have stories!
Saturday evening I will be part of a celebration of a campus ministry's 30th anniversary. The past eight years or so I helped with a dinner for mostly grad and mostly foreign students once a month. I didn't meet anyone from Antarctica but every other continent. It's the smartest room I will every be in.
A lot of that is long horizon work. Students are uneasy about going home to families and religion. You live in that place. In the time they are here there are folks who embrace Jesus. Even Iranian parents have told the kids to hangout with this group, they recognize the Spirit, if they wouldn't use those words. Kelly and Barb have been there, all 30 years.
Their is heartbreak too. A church brother was a big supporter. He was one of your kind, a Chem Eng prof. Yes, you read the "was" part. He died this year. The testimonies people gave kept going and going. He knew these students, taught some of them. He grew up a child of parents from India. I could go on. We called him UT, north Americans.don't do well with unfamiliar names.
He made a difference. Colleagues for 35 years ago talked about his character. Students told of how he always had time for life issues. He loved on folks. More stories.there.too.
One of the women who organizes and cooks for our dinners is herself an immigrant from Asia via a refugee camp. You will know her stories of escape. The Boat People were before your time but you know their stories. She grew up literally two houses from us.
Immigrant families working two jobs don't take vacations. My brother and I and friends from church started a youth group. My wife had a Bible Club and an open door at our house. We knew a place to take kids for a summer camp, we did it That five year old girl is now a mom of university students who also give back. Her husband is from the same group, and more.
There isn't a single sacrifice that any of us made that we want back. Sure we wish some results were changed but no trades.
There are.folks who talked about coming to Jesus but we don't see any evidence right now. And at 68 I am impatient. But the Spirit is pursuing.
God bless you real good. Know that you never walk the.path alone. He is invested. His calculator doesn't have Arabic numerals. He will reward and he will give fruit.
Wow David, thank you so much for sharing your stories and your great encouragement to me to keep going. It's really inspiring to see someone who walked that path of faith for many, many decades and sacrificed much along the way. God is waiting to tell you, "Well done, good and faithful servant." I hope I can finish the race strong and one day bless others when I too am 68.
I think it's so true that we will never regret the sacrifices, though we wish things turn out another way. I'm sure once we're in heaven it will all make sense, and I greatly look forward to meeting you someday and hearing more of your stories, whether on this side of heaven or the other. God bless.
You will never know the ripples you've created through that one salvation. One Sunday School teacher led Billy Graham to Christ. I think they are up there hanging out with him and feeling good about the decision.
Not to mention the growing influence of the discipled and spiritually growing young men and women you're supporting and helping to empower.
Seek ye first the Kingdom of Heaven. He didn't say to track results and count heads.
Bethel Music has a song “For the One” that echos this beautiful sentiment. It’s so worth it, the ripple effect is real, and Jesus would have died for just one. Thank you for being willing to “fail.”
I am so moved by the notion that He would spend the lives of 10 people and hundreds of thousands of dollars on one precious soul. We follow a Shepherd who spends it all to find the lost sheep.
Jesus said the Good Shepherd leaves the flock to get one sheep. Another thing that occurs to me is that it’s ultimately God who gives the growth. The impact of your work may not be obvious now, but when those seeds are watered, they add to the harvest at the start of eternity.
"I didn't get picked because of what I could do for the mission field, but because of what the mission field would do for me." This has been my experience on the field 💯
Well said. When Helping Hurts (by Steve Corbett and Brian Fikkert) changed my perspective of philanthropy in general. Often the most influential cultural shifting initiatives cannot be measured in "numbers." How can you measure things like "good marriage", or "child inspired by a good role model in the community" -Salvation works the same way because it is the whole of life, and humans cannot see or measure that!....Unfortunately business ROI, commodification, and social media prefer numbers to catch attention. The Kingdom doesn't work that way though.
Really thoughtful, love the reminder that not all impact is visible, while also pointing to the need to balance faith with finding better ways to track real progress.
Randy, I loved this perspective. How we measure “success” is so shaped by our culture and obsession with ROI’s and measurable outcomes, but God looks at the heart. Any work faithfully done for the Lord is not wasted nor futile. My Great Aunt shared that when she was poor the church was the one place that offered her food and safety as a child. She only ever showed up for the social services, but would convert 60 years later and become an evangelist herself. When she shared this, I thought of my friends in Yuchi who have poured so much into the children of the village but haven’t seen much immediate fruit. Who knows how God will use their faithfulness in the decades to come? I’m so encouraged your faith empowered you to uproot your lives to become a missionary!
Thank you for the encouragement :)
I think that's why I loved doing youth ministry back in the States. It's a lot of sowing but you know God will use them for great things in the future!
One of the things I'm most looking forward to in heaven is seeing how even small choices or sacrifices we made created ripple effects in people's lives and eternities that we won't ever know this side of heaven
Love that thought.
I often tell myself “once I step into heaven, I know that there won’t be regretting a single thing I ever sacrificed for the gospel!”
Perhaps money has been wasted. But at least you didn’t bury your talents.
As if God was responding, in the past 2 weeks, we’ve tripled our return! (As in, 2 more salvations hahaha)
Your faithfulness was no more a waste than Mary’s “waste” of alabaster perfume anointing Jesus with her tears. I’m encouraged by your testimony!
Thank you for the encouragement as well!
Loved this article! Earned a sub!
Hi Randy,
I can't decide what to say to you but I will tell you a couple of stories. At my point in life, 68, I have stories!
Saturday evening I will be part of a celebration of a campus ministry's 30th anniversary. The past eight years or so I helped with a dinner for mostly grad and mostly foreign students once a month. I didn't meet anyone from Antarctica but every other continent. It's the smartest room I will every be in.
A lot of that is long horizon work. Students are uneasy about going home to families and religion. You live in that place. In the time they are here there are folks who embrace Jesus. Even Iranian parents have told the kids to hangout with this group, they recognize the Spirit, if they wouldn't use those words. Kelly and Barb have been there, all 30 years.
Their is heartbreak too. A church brother was a big supporter. He was one of your kind, a Chem Eng prof. Yes, you read the "was" part. He died this year. The testimonies people gave kept going and going. He knew these students, taught some of them. He grew up a child of parents from India. I could go on. We called him UT, north Americans.don't do well with unfamiliar names.
He made a difference. Colleagues for 35 years ago talked about his character. Students told of how he always had time for life issues. He loved on folks. More stories.there.too.
One of the women who organizes and cooks for our dinners is herself an immigrant from Asia via a refugee camp. You will know her stories of escape. The Boat People were before your time but you know their stories. She grew up literally two houses from us.
Immigrant families working two jobs don't take vacations. My brother and I and friends from church started a youth group. My wife had a Bible Club and an open door at our house. We knew a place to take kids for a summer camp, we did it That five year old girl is now a mom of university students who also give back. Her husband is from the same group, and more.
There isn't a single sacrifice that any of us made that we want back. Sure we wish some results were changed but no trades.
There are.folks who talked about coming to Jesus but we don't see any evidence right now. And at 68 I am impatient. But the Spirit is pursuing.
God bless you real good. Know that you never walk the.path alone. He is invested. His calculator doesn't have Arabic numerals. He will reward and he will give fruit.
Wow David, thank you so much for sharing your stories and your great encouragement to me to keep going. It's really inspiring to see someone who walked that path of faith for many, many decades and sacrificed much along the way. God is waiting to tell you, "Well done, good and faithful servant." I hope I can finish the race strong and one day bless others when I too am 68.
I think it's so true that we will never regret the sacrifices, though we wish things turn out another way. I'm sure once we're in heaven it will all make sense, and I greatly look forward to meeting you someday and hearing more of your stories, whether on this side of heaven or the other. God bless.
Praise God for you doing the Lords work
Thanks for the encouragement!
Sponsors need to understand that they founded your work, not God’s work. Yours was to plant, God’s was that 1 saved soul. Praise God!
Praise God indeed!
You will never know the ripples you've created through that one salvation. One Sunday School teacher led Billy Graham to Christ. I think they are up there hanging out with him and feeling good about the decision.
Not to mention the growing influence of the discipled and spiritually growing young men and women you're supporting and helping to empower.
Seek ye first the Kingdom of Heaven. He didn't say to track results and count heads.
Love that reminder about Billy Graham. The butterfly effect is real!
Bethel Music has a song “For the One” that echos this beautiful sentiment. It’s so worth it, the ripple effect is real, and Jesus would have died for just one. Thank you for being willing to “fail.”
I love that song! Thank you for the encouragement :)
Wow missionary work is wild but it will definitely work out
Thanks, King. It has most definitely worked out so far, and I'm sure it will continue to do so as long God is still God haha
I am so moved by the notion that He would spend the lives of 10 people and hundreds of thousands of dollars on one precious soul. We follow a Shepherd who spends it all to find the lost sheep.
It’s an amazing love! I can empathize with his heart so much more after going through this experience
Jesus said the Good Shepherd leaves the flock to get one sheep. Another thing that occurs to me is that it’s ultimately God who gives the growth. The impact of your work may not be obvious now, but when those seeds are watered, they add to the harvest at the start of eternity.
Yes it’s always humbled me how God doesn’t need me for ministry, it’s actually just a privilege he allows
"I didn't get picked because of what I could do for the mission field, but because of what the mission field would do for me." This has been my experience on the field 💯
Keep fighting the good fight friend :)
Well said. When Helping Hurts (by Steve Corbett and Brian Fikkert) changed my perspective of philanthropy in general. Often the most influential cultural shifting initiatives cannot be measured in "numbers." How can you measure things like "good marriage", or "child inspired by a good role model in the community" -Salvation works the same way because it is the whole of life, and humans cannot see or measure that!....Unfortunately business ROI, commodification, and social media prefer numbers to catch attention. The Kingdom doesn't work that way though.
You could live your whole life as a “failure” and be celebrated in the kingdom of God. Guess that’s what last shall be first looks like!
Really thoughtful, love the reminder that not all impact is visible, while also pointing to the need to balance faith with finding better ways to track real progress.
Yep! You could also think all impact is visible, but the timeline may be longer than you think
🙏🏻🙏🏻
Thank you for sharing! I'm glad you failed 😁
Because is there where His grace is perfected
haha only context where that's a compliment. btw I saw your profile. I majored in Chem E myself hah
Haha yeah! In our context, it can only be a compliment!
Oh that’s so cool!! I'm glad to connect with another Chem Eng here. Nice to meet you, Randy! :)
I have to tell you that I also had an expirience of "failure" as a missionary abroad last year haha
Something similar to what you shared, like, we didn't have measured success, but I know we showed God's love to others, and planted some seeds!
So, I pray to the Lord, who is in control of everything, that He bless your mission! 🙏🏼🙏🏼
Thank you for the encouragement! Yes, just like marriage, it’s about faithfulness, not performance