I remember when I used to play high school football in Texas. Every Saturday I was a different person because every Friday held its own highs and lows. Many times, my family didn’t want to spend time with me the Saturday after a Friday night loss because I was a different person. It’s silly now, but they were right: my identity was wrapped up in what happened in the Friday night lights, so the high or low greatly impacted my Saturday (and often Sundays).

In mission life, there continues to be highs and lows. Every day brings new challenges, new celebrations, new difficulties, and new praises. Over the past few months, I have been reflecting on some of those experiences, and what it means to me after spending nine years here in the mission field. On a Tuesday, I held meetings and discussions regarding the future and what God is doing in and with us…excitement and energy flowed. Then on Wednesday, I drove to the village and spent over an hour alone on a mud road driving from this “road” to that “road,” utterly lost trying to find a church I was visiting…frustration mounting, but pleased at what I (eventually) found at the church. Thursday brings a mix of all emotions, while visiting a friend and disciple at his home. We spend time together sharing stories, memories, and lessons learned; we even walk through the village greeting neighbors and exploring suspension bridges. But it also comes with baggage and a reluctance of the family to eat together, while also piling on the stress by running late. Thursday also held discouraging news about other visits where students didn’t even show up for a meeting, so we wasted time and money trying to visit, in addition to the sadness that a friend seems to be giving in to the demons which are lying to her. But Friday brings a lovely visit to Disciplemaking groups where encouragement fills the day, seeing the fruit of over ten years of making disciples who make disciples, and seeing the impact that spiritually healthy leaders and disciplemakers are having in a real life church. Sunday’s visit to a local church finds the pastor sitting alone, waiting for members that only arrive once they know the missionary has come, and then pretending everything is okay.

And so goes the standard week in our life…highs and lows; joys and frustrations. Even a trip to the supermarket can hold an array of emotions: elated to find cream cheese but ongoing disappointment that they haven’t had butter for months. But life is life, and while my life now may look different than it would have if we hadn’t answered the Lord’s call nine years ago, I know that life is made up of highs and lows; ministry is especially made of highs and lows. Two steps forward, one (or sometimes two) steps backward. So what do I do – and what do we do – with this ever-present ebb and flow in life?

I take solace that the Lord Jesus never calls me to success, but instead to faithfulness. Yes, he wants and expects me to bear fruit, but the fruit he desires most is a faithful heart and life: To follow Him IN both the highs and the lows; To lead others to Him through highs and lows. And so I pray and praise on the frustrating and the joyous things. Sure, sometimes my state of mind takes too much time thinking about the frustrations, but I’m thankful that the Lord brings me back to Him, trusting in Him to act in ways that I cannot.

The Lord never commanded us to be successful.
He calls us to be faithful.

I must confess: my Mondays are still too often impacted by the result of the Dallas Cowboy game (a diehard fan since the womb), but I like to think it’s not like it used to be. And I know that Jesus is far greater than the highs and lows of mission work here on the ground, so I trust in Him…rely on Him…hope on Him.