I’m spending this week in Arusha, Tanzania. It’s been almost 20 years since I was here. The last time I was in Tanzania I was training church planters and missionaries from all over East Africa. One of the students in that training is now the head of the missions department for the Tanzanian Assemblies of God.
It’s amazing to watch people, in whose life you have invested, outgrow you in scope and impact. I doubt if Paul Balela even remembers me. That’s unimportant. But, I remember him. It was clear then that he had a special touch from God on his life.
I feel called to be a bridge. I love helping people move from their present to an uncertain future. Sometimes I get to cast that vision and lead the way. At other times, it’s clear that God has placed me in someone’s life to help provide needed resources so they might fulfill a pre-existing God-given vision.
I might lead some for years, but if I do things right, a day will come when the leader gets to turn into the follower. In these moments, leader ship may diminish, but influence thrives. This puts a smile on my face!