Synergy

In 2005 I read in one of our sister ministry’s newsletter of a Navajo lady who lived to be 105 years old. Living to be 105 years old in itself is an amazing feat but when the average life expectancy on the reservation today is about 54 years old, that is incredible. This one lady beat the statistics. She beat the odds.

Most days I get pretty overwhelmed by the hopelessness we encounter. I get frustrated with parents making bad choices that affect their kids. I am so tired of seeing people whose lives are consumed by alcohol and drugs. I will never forget the day I saw a 2 year old baby sitting outside on the sidewalk surrounded by broken alcohol bottles.  My heart breaks as I see Satan having his way day after day tearing down God's precious creations.

I find such comfort in the fact that God has not called us to save every person on every reservation across the United States. He has not called us to be in the spotlight drawing attention to ourselves. He has not even called us to be successful. God has called us to be faithful. He has called us to faithfully walk alongside a wonderful group of kids and their parents, share Jesus with them and look for the one kid who will beat the statistics.

A good friend of mine encouraged me a while back about the philosophy of synergy. So many times we view ministry as addition, but in reality ministry is synergy. In successful ministry, one does not become two and then three and so forth. Synergy is the concept of momentum where one becomes two, two becomes four, four becomes eight, etc. Some days are tough and ministry is slow, but God has called us to keep on and pour our lives into one child who will beat all statistics and all expectations. I long for the day when the one becomes two, and two becomes four, and the four becomes eight... I long for the day when kids fall in love with God, grow up knowing and loving Him, and in turn raise their families knowing and loving God. I long for the day when Satan no longer has his foothold in San Carlos! We continue on in faith knowing that day is coming!

tory