Hard Work

I believe in hard work and have a work ethic that has been refined over the years. I don't say this to boast, but to make the point that I am not afraid of rolling up my sleeves and getting after it.

The work that we do in Arizona on our mission trips is definitely intense and a little more physically demanding than what we are used to in a normal day. In Show Low we are also battling a three hour time difference as well as being 6300 feet above sea level. Needless to say, it takes a little more effort (which is not easy to come by) when you are laboring out there.

This past year one of the tasks that we were assigned was to dig two trenches to bury drainage pipe in near the chapel. If you have never done a little digging in Arizona, you are in for a special treat. It is a whole lot of pick-axe use and not as much shovel. It will take 3-4 times what you would expect here in Georgia to dig. We probably invested 30-40 man hours into the two trenches in two short days. Our muscles were sore and our lungs were tired, but there was a senses of satisfaction when we were done. We could look and see that we had made definite improvements and see the immediate results of our work.

That is one of the reasons that I enjoy working at AICM so much. We are able to tackle projects and see the results of our hard work within a few days. That is certainly not the case while working in ministry. Sometimes you will labor for years, praying and encouraging, pushing and pulling, crying and yelling, and hoping that somewhere down the line you will see godly growth in people. That somewhere in the process the revival that you know God wants to bring will take place and that you will see the results.

Unfortunately, the results are not always going to appear before us. Our job is to continue to do the hard work and be faithful to the God that has called us to do it. Much like Noah, Elijah, David, Abraham and others, we have to persevere and get after the task(s) in front of us. Our faith depends on trusting that God is leading us even when we can't see the immediate results.

"So let's not allow ourselves to get fatigued doing good. At the right time we will harvest a good crop if we don't give up, or quit."   Galatians 6:9 (MSG)