Out of Control

5/31/2013 11:11:00 AM sendtheroths 0 Comments

A key factor in keeping sanity, while working in a foreign nation that is sometimes completely opposite to my own, is letting go of being in control. I can be as responsible as I can, but some matters are out of my control.

I’m not in control when I’m in a bus or on a motorbike taxi.
I’m not in control of how much money comes in every month.
I’m not in control of my personal civil rights. I’m not in control of the thoughts, feelings or motives of our staff.
I’m not in control what happens on the streets of Goma at night.
I’m not in control of every conversation or discussion that we have with Congolese.
I’m not even in control of everything that goes on with the training center.

I can influence these situations. I can use preventative measures.
I can learn and do research.
I can pray.

I’m not typing this from a fatalistic frame of mind, but in obvious observance to shortcomings in our lives and in the lives of many leaders we know.

If we are empowering Congolese to lead, then we must understand that sometimes the control will be theirs. We must be willing to deal with the repercussions of their actions or inactions graciously.

I’ve learned that a good leader knows the limitations of his/her leadership. This can be applied to a marriage, a family, a ministry, an organization, a classroom and even a business.

This is a huge struggle for intuitive leaders. I’m convinced that one cannot leader cannot make a residual impact without peacefully relinquishing control and being okay with it when things "don’t go as planned."

Just like in everyone’s life, there are matters we can pretend to control, but in all actuality, one incident can change everything. I want you to keep these matters on your prayer list for us.

• Pray for Communication: Communicating in another language produces a new level of vulnerability and humility in us. It is also an act of love. It’s really hard to get people to listen to you or care what you are saying if you refuse to learn their language. Apply our situation to your native country. How successful would someone be if they lived among you and never tried to learn your language? 
• Pray for safety and security: we don’t throw caution to the wind, but there are a few safety measures we have chosen not to take based on the fact that we want to actively be involved in the life of the population. This can make us victims to various situations that the population also faces. Seeing as we are foreigners, these dangers can sometimes be heightened. 
• Pray for the Peacemakers: the program for former child soldiers is an evolving effort. War causes situations in the villages to change quickly. As a result, we also must stay current with information and find viable ways to rehabilitate these children physically, mentally and spiritually.
• Pray for members of GOF-C: anything we do is only through God’s grace and the benevolence of our Congolese co-laborers. 
• Amethyst is slowly making her way through a masters degree in international economic development. This is no small feat when internet, power and finances are not always constant.