Tuesday, June 17, 2008

Looking Around the Office

shelf As I look around my office, I see evidence of trips made in earlier days.  Coffee cups from Colombia and Kenya.  A small leather briefcase from Nigeria given by a grateful church for the work we had done for them.  Bullet casings and shrapnel from southern Sudan.  An orange flag from Ukraine.  Icons from Russia.  A vase from Greece. A shawl from Ethiopia.  A wooden snake from India.  Copper figurines from Ghana and Sri Lanka.  A cross from Egypt.  A picture from Costa Rica.  A coal figurine of William Wallace from Scotland.

These things make me sad, on one hand, as they remind me of earlier days when I had the health to travel overseas more.  But on the other hand, they remind of the wide experience God has allowed me to have which I hope I can now pass on to others.  God has given me a good team and it is my hope that, before I drive them crazy, I can, to some degree, impart some of the lessons, attitudes, and approaches to ministry that God has enabled me to learn, while continuing to learn from my team members at the same time.

The "reproduction" of one's ministry is often talked about.  But I am not sure that I would do as much of it as I am if I were still able to travel the way I used to.  I am pretty sure that I wouldn't.  Discipling is much more talked about than actually done.

3 comments:

Laurel said...

I homeschooled my children; and one of the most important lessons I learned in reading all the homeschool "instruction manuals" out there was there are two things we need to teach our children more than anything else:
1. How to find the information for themselves. We need to teach them how to become life-long learners. (Acts 17:11 [The Bereans] were more fair-minded than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness, and searched the Scriptures daily to find out whether these things were so. NKJV)
2. How to teach. We need to teach them how to teach others so they can in turn pass on our instruction to the next generation. (II Timothy 2:2 And the things that you have heard from me among many witnesses, commit these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also. NKJV)

God bless you, Glenn, as you are faithful in passing on what God has shown you.

Anonymous said...

Excellent comments from Laurel.
I am reminded of Paul who was no longer able to travel to visit the churches or even carry the gospel further. But what a blessing he was to the churches and individuals who received his letters from prison. That blessing has gone down through the centuries to us in 2008.
Eunice

Glenn Penner said...

Wow, Eunice. You have given me a lot to think about. I had never even considered this.