In a book by Julian Lewis Watkins, The 100 Greatest Advertisements, Sir Earnest Shackleton is quoted as having placed an ad in a London newspaper at the turn of the last century looking for men to join him on an expedition to the South Pole. It read: “Men wanted for hazardous journey. Small wages, bitter cold, long months of complete darkness, constant danger. Safe return doubtful!” He wrote, “It seemed as if all the men of Briton wanted to accompany me.”
Soon afterwards a curious friend noted in Shackleton’s office three large drawers labeled respectively ‘Mad,’ ‘Hopeless,’ and ‘Possible’ in which the letters of application had been roughly classified.”
Is that how church planters should be classified? And what about the wives who go along with them? I don’t think so. I prefer to claim Luke 1:37, “With God all things are possible.”
Church Planting is a great adventure that will change your life forever. Who knows what lies ahead or what changes may come into your life? God knows, and because of that you have confidence in Him, not in yourself, to go forward boldly. How wonderful! How exciting! If God had shown me, before hand, what my life would have been like, I probably would have run away. I would have felt totally inadequate to the task. But God is able. He equips and empowers and His grace is sufficient for whatever He calls you to do.
Of course, everyone’s life is different, but certain things do transcend time and place. It is my earnest desire that these very practical things shared right from my heart to your heart will enable you to keep things in perspective – in their proper order, and perhaps smooth the way just a little for you.
Wanted: Women of God. Women who have integrity, intelligence, energy, discipline, faith and vision. Would Shackleton categorize you as: Mad? Hopeless? Or possible?
