A clock on my desk has a battery that is almost dead. The second hand struggles to keep moving, ticking off about two or three seconds and then hesitating in some form of seizure for a minute or so. Then it gallantly sets forth to measure the passing of two or three more seconds before again coming to a trembling stop.
Sometimes ministry from the desk of an associational missionary seems like that clock. You move ahead on a project that is as importnat to you as the passing of time itself (which is actually rather important considering we have a finite amount of it in this earthly life). Then you find that others who are partners with you in the project have forgotten their roles, didn't fulfill their roles, passed their roles on to someone else, or simply took the first roadblock they hit as a sign from God that they shouldn't do anything else. The second hand has come to a screeching halt and just sits there trembling while making these sounds that indicate something ought to be happening, but obviously is not.
Committee life is not fun. Being a dictator with God-like powers seems far more interesting, and productive. Tomorrow I have to bring a new battery with me to the office and replace the committee member, I mean the old battery, with a new one. Unfortunatley it is harder to do that with people. People skills are as critical for a DoM as they are with any pastor.
Total surrender to the Holy Spirit allows the growth of its fruit (Gal. 5:22-23). Openness to the leadership of the Holy Spirit allows for the influx of wisdom from above (James 3:17). Both are essential for a rewarding ministry as an associational director of missions.
May we use our time well in pursuing the things of the Spirit so that our work with mere mortals might have a more productive end. Frustration is real, but it should never kill the clock.
