fresh flowers for December 12

Moving Forward
©2005, lani wiens
a fresh flowers original

It was Monday morning. The cold darkness of a Canadian winter was still thick in our room. I rolled over in bed thinking I would maybe look at the clock to see if it was soon time to get up. Before my eyes could open of their own volition, my husbands’ words caused them to pop, “Oh no, it’s 7:55. Do you think we can do it?” After a moment’s hesitation I replied, “Of course we can, you take the food, I’ll get the girl.” We zoomed to our assigned posts. While my husband worked in the kitchen I got a sleepy five year old into a school outfit and did her hair. We met dad at the bottom of the stairs backpack ready and breakfast in hand. Quickly she got shoved into ski pants, jacket, hat, mitts, scarf and boots. Whew, look at the clock, it is now 8:10, five minutes to spare before the school bus arrives. Two tired parents and one small girl pointing in the same direction, to get to school on time, warm and well fed.

The spotlight moves from one performer to another. Candles flicker on tables as people sip coffee and taste decadent desserts. The story of God from creation to beyond the pearly gates unfolds through song, dance, drama and multi-media pieces. Behind the scene technical crews, decorators, food crews and hosts work to make sure that everyone is where they belong and all runs smoothly. A prayer team offers up intercession in the basement. Seeds are sown. Hearts are touched. Tears are shed. Lives are forever changed. Three performances, dress rehearsal, sound checks, more than fifty cast and crew, strained muscles and voices, tired bodies all pointed in the same direction to extend the kingdom of God.

While the goals and amount of people involved were vastly different, these two events illustrate the same thing. There is power in a team that is focused on one goal. While one determined person can accomplish a lot on their own, even more can be done when two or three work together. Unity of vision and a willingness to move toward that goal is a powerful thing not only in individual families but in the church. As my husband and I waved good-bye to our daughter we had a feeling of accomplishment realizing what we can do when we work together in a focused way. We have a long-term vision that we want to see accomplished in our family that will take many more years of effort and discipline and moments like that to accomplish, but we know that it can happen – we believe.

That sense of accomplishment, focus and teamwork was multiplied many times over in our spiritual family as individuals gave of their time, talents and gifts to a common goal. We’d never done something quite this big before. I could feel a sense of family and team as ‘good job’ was whispered here and there. Prayer being offered up for those who were feeling weary and weak, undergirding each other with the power of love and unity of purpose. We needed each other, not one of us could have done that on our own. Who knows where God will take us from here. One thing we know for sure, there is no going back, only forward. Where will God take us? We don’t know, but we know why. There are two kingdoms, one to be advanced and one to conquer. We know what our purpose is and we will continue to work towards it.

The underlying forces in these events were belief that the impossible could be accomplished and a willingness to try. And why bother in the first place? The reason was clear as we all stood together at the end to sing, “I believe, and I will always sing, this little child, He is the King of Kings!”