Dear Friends,

I recently had one of those moments when I was stopped in my tracks by something someone said. I was in Lima, Peru speaking at a conference for Wickliffe Bible Translators. This afforded me the opportunity to learn about the life and work of a Bible translator. I listened each day to reports from the field, all of which were challenging, but one in particular provided the moment to which I’m referring.

Here is the sentence: “On November 19, 1952, I went down the Amazon in a dug-out canoe with an outboard motor.”

I didn’t hear anything else the man said for some time, because I was trying to process the fact that he and his wife have been committed to the task for 57 years, which is my lifetime. They were beginning their ministry when I was six months old, and they are only now leaving with a sense of completion.

Just when I was silently commending myself for 26 years of service at Parkside, it dawned on me that I haven’t even reached halfway by their standard! Their length of service stands in marked contrast to those who today are offering themselves for “long-term” mission work, long-term being defined as four years.

There are doubtless many lessons to be learned from this story. Perhaps the most obvious is that we need to live with a sense of history and to remember that the Christian life is not a few 100-meter sprints, but a cross country run of obedience that lasts for the rest of our lives. When we view things from this perspective, we will be protected from being unduly unsettled by our disappointments or too eager to raise monuments to our achievements (Hebrews 12:1-3).

In earlier generations, those who were involved in the building of great cathedrals across Europe played their part with the awareness that they would never live to see the completion of the project. Similarly, much of what we share in together through Truth For Life is sowing the seeds of God’s Word. The extent of the harvest will only really be apparent in the light of eternity.

I didn’t check, but I have a sneaking suspicion that my friend in the canoe is living his life in light of Philippians 3:14. I hope that you are as encouraged and challenged by this example as I am.

Warmest Christian Greetings,
Alistair