The empty tank

We returned just recently from a pastors retreat. Saturday morning we discovered that there was no water in the showers. Nor in the kitchen or in any of the taps. The woman responsible for the place explained that probably the pump to the big water tank had stopped working and the tank was now empty. But, she added, since the tank holds 10.000 litres it's impossible to say when the pump stopped working.

It seems to me like a good illustration. Many times we encounter a problem. Immediate, needing resolution now, like "no water in the taps". But the cause of the problem is not in the now, its in the past. That pump could have stopped at any time, no one would notice. Until the water ran out. We sort of live in a grace period until the tank finally runs dry. In this case the solution was quite easy: call the guy who came and looked at the pump and then fixed it. But many times the cause isn't so easy to see.

Let's apply this to a church situation. A pastor finds that her congregation doesn't respond to the challenges they face as a church. There's little movement or energy and an unwillingness to give or sacrifice. There's no water in the tank. It's easy to blame yourself in this situation. But, thinking a bit the pastor might realise that she didn't disciple the majority of the people. They picked up what the Christian life is all about somewhere else. Maybe there was a big youth group 15 years ago where many floated along without actually being personally challenged by Christ. They all became members (This is when the pump brakes) and are now the adults of the church. It's only when they need to suffer a bit that the shallowness shows up.

You probably have other examples from other areas of life. Me, I get helped in two ways by this:

• When I realise that it might not be my fault, that the reason is in the past, I need to study the process to see where the key strategic points are. (Keep the pump running in this case)
• When I understand where the strategic point is I need to make sure I do a good job there. (In the example, make sure people are personally challenged by Christ and learn to suffer for Him)

Until further notice

My wife was recently at a retreat for missionary women. She came back with some amazing stories of people who really had fallen in love with this country. And suffered here.

She met a woman who had been working on the countryside with her husband. He discovered by accident that he had a heart condition and needed operation. Instead of going back home to the US where healthcare is more developed he stayed and had his operation here. All went well but a short time afterwards the wife got hit by a truck while riding on the back of a motorbike, in a bad way. She needed several operations and are still having them as I write this. To add to the injury: the lawyer that was supposed to help them didn't do his job so they lost the chance to claim any money for the accident. and the latest thing is that the man who crashed into the motorbike will sue them for psychological damages! But she doesn't complain. Neither did they leave Paraguay.

My wife also heard about another tragic story. A young family that also moved to Paraguay as missionaries. After their first child were born they adopted a Paraguayan girl. They worked a few years and then the mother and the first child were killed, also in a traffic accident. The man and the adopted daughter was left. And are still here. They didn't leave Paraguay.

These are terrible and tragic events. But what struck me when I heard them was that these people had every right to say "enough, I will go back to my home country now". And nobody would have blamed them. But they stayed.

In fact many missionaries that we meet does not have a finishing date on their assignment. They are here until further notice, indefinitely. For us that has been a refreshing and challenging eye-opener since our mission works with 3-4 year contracts.

Really it's a testimony that God can place a love in the hearts of His people that makes them abandon "ordinary" for something very different!