"there has only ever been one perfect man, the Lord Jesus, and we killed him. I only missed a putt."
Partnerships
In all my prayers for you all of you, I always pray with joy because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now. Philippians 1:4-5So often I see prayer as a chore. Paul prayed with joy. So often prayer seems to be something that I have to do. Prayer for Paul was a joyful activity.
Partnerships are important in sport. Partnerships are the essence of building an innings in cricket. But partnerships are equally important – if less obvious in other sports. Athlete and coach, for example, or athlete and training partner.
In the heat of Delhi in the Commonwealth Games, the Welsh hockey coach had come up with a strategy of players playing for only 5-10 minutes before coming off for a rest and to re-hydrate – normally the same 11 would have stayed on for at least the first half. I asked her if it was hard to play a game like that. She replied, “You need to know which players had to be on the field together”. The right partnerships.
I look back on some of the most fulfilling times of ministry as times when I was privileged to have good partners. Good partners in sport and the gospel share the same vision. They work well together. They encourage one another. Their strengths compliment one another.
The best partnerships last a long time “from the first day until now”. Having been privileged to have been involved in international sports ministry for 15 years, I have many friends who have been partners for years. It is easy to thank God for them.