I love coaching! I love that we have technology that is so good, I can talk with a missionary in another part of the world and sense that things are changing as we make conversation.
Recently, I was coaching a cross-cultural missionary who confessed that he was “stuck.” He had raised his family on “the field” and had been involved in many things – schools, church-plants, mass evangelism, you name it. But now after all these years he felt stymied and unable to find direction, unable to move forward.
So here was this godly man who had sacrificed many things to serve God, but was now feeling that he was at a crossroad and feeling directionless.
There are no major problems in his life. His family is good and healthy. His finances are adequate. He’s secure in his call and giftings. Relationships both in-country and “back home” are good. He feels emotionally and spiritually whole and stable. So basically he doesn’t need counseling.
He needs coaching.
Coaching is helping him move on. Coaching is helping him answer his internal questions. Maybe even some of his doubts. Coaching is allowing him a safe place to make introspective enquiries and look for the next step in his career and service to Christ.
He calls me every ten days via SKYPE for pre-arranged sessions. For around twenty minutes, I ask powerful questions, reframe his ideas and allow him to dream bigger than before.
And it’s not about me – the coach, it’s all about him! It’s all set in his agenda, set against his backdrop and his vision. He knows more about God’s plan for his life than anyone else! And without any other agenda of my own, I’m helping him think things through. He understands the direction, pace and means of progress needed for his vision and life better than anyone else. My job is to help him get around the internal obstacles that have him “stuck.”
Recently as we talked over SKYPE, it got really, really quiet following a question I posed to him. As I waited for an answer from him, you could feel something happening in his heart and in his understanding. Finally, he cleared his throat, “Why didn’t I think of this before? This would work. This could really help me do this! Why didn’t I think of this before?”
And I felt the earth move.
Somehow in the tectonic plates of this seasoned missionary’s heart and vision – and in the plan of God’s great Kingdom, there was a shift. A spiritual seismic event!
So when we hung up, I wanted to dance! Wow, wow and wow! This is what I live for!
