Just a Wee Bit of an Update

It's been two days since I left the hospital after been taken directly to emergency from my flight home from Europe.  It turned out that the extreme pain in my shoulder was the first sign of my third case of shingles; my worst case yet by far.  The past two weeks have been a blur of pain and medication to suppress it.  The chicken pox-like blisters covered me from head to foot and while they are now pretty much dried up, the pain remains.  And the mental fog from the drugs.

I have had a while to think.  It is obvious to me from this experience (and other recent ones) that I am going to have to demonstrate a type of leadership uncommon in this kind of ministry.  Typically, those involved in working with the persecuted are led by those who like to be on the frontlines, out front leading the way.  That has been my life for several years.  But it is obvious that I need to select my traveling experiences far more carefully and start modeling a cross-centred style of leadership that ministers from a position of weakness.  Many talk of this; I am going to have to live it out.  My body demands it.  I think God does too. Thankfully, I have a Board and staff that support me in this divine experiment.  I'll let you know how it goes.