part of a bigger story

Recently I had an amazing time of encouragement with a group of supporters.  I attended a prayer meeting at one of our partnering churches.  My expectation for the prayer time was that I would be given a few minutes to share as our ministry was just one item on the prayer list for the evening.    But as things developed I was surprised at how many people in that room had a history with InterVarsity which they wanted to share with the group.   

I knew many of the stories, but to hear them all in one room made me very thankful to be working with this ministry.  In the room were men who helped begin InterVarsity chapters at both the University of South Dakota and South Dakota State University.  One of them attended Wheaton College in the early years of the Urbana missions conference.  He mentioned that he did not attend Urbana, but there were some students from Wheaton who did, including Jim Elliot.  There were people whose children were InterVarsity members and others who had been involved as students themselves (some of whose children also got involved as students).   

It’s great to be part of a bigger story.  But the InterVarsity story in that room is just a part of the biggest story of all. I think of the cloud of witnesses in Hebrews 12.  I am thankful for those who went before me, whether their mission field was the university or the local grain elevator.  And I am thankful that God’s faithfulness will continue to the next generation.  I hope you, too, have moments in which you are reminded that you are part of a big story.  So let us “fix our eyes on Jesus,”and “run with endurance the race that is set before us.”

Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. 

Hebrews 12:1-2 (NASB)