Source: www.freeimages.com

A while ago I heard this story from an elderly mission worker.  She had laboured long and hard in a church in the Far East, teaching children in particular the gospel.  She felt she had little impact on their lives, and eventually retired home to the UK somewhat discouraged that although she had been faithful to her call, she did not think she had really achieved very much.

After many years, she was contacted by a woman who had been one of the children she had nurtured a long time previously.  She was in England and wanted to visit.  So the day came, and the woman visited, and it turned out she was an active Christian.  The mission worker was delighted, and asked about other children who had been in the same group.  It turned out that one was a pastor, one an evangelist, another a worship leader and so on – they were all walking with the Lord!  The mission worker was delighted that her labour hadn’t been in vain.

Of course, our labour is never in vain if we are doing it for the Lord.  But many of us will not know what harvest has sprung from the seeds we have sown.  And although that may be very encouraging, it’s not really the point.  If we are doing faithfully what we believe the Lord has given us to do, we will one day hear his words of encouragement – “Well done, good and faithful servant”, even if we have been most discouraged in this life.

So, as Alex reminded us 18 months ago: Keep on keeping on!