Kevin Donaldson

Farewell to Ros - 9 January 2009

Back in 1995, when Lucy, Grace and I were newly arrived in India, we lived in a small town in the foothills of the Himalayas called Mussoorie.  There's a Hindi language school there on top of a mountain, and we spent several months immersed in Indian culture, surrounded by incredible beauty.  I still remember the clouds rolling though our open windows and passing right through the house.

We lived in a 100-year-old house, dating back to the days of the British Raj, and one of our neighbor's was a veteran missionary named Rosslyn Robinson.  When we met Ros, she was near the end of a four-decade career in India.  Ros had never married, and had devoted her entire life to serving the people of India.  She had spent many years at a remote mission outpost in the state of Bihar. 

Ros personified the word, "jolly."  She had a smile that would stretch from ear to ear.  Ros didn't grin--she smiled!  She also had a contagious laughter that sounded like a cross between a crow and a hyena.  You couldn't help but smile when Ros was around.

For whatever reason, Ros took a liking to us.  I still remember countless knocks at the door, answered to find Ros with a plate of cookies in hand.  She had learned to improvise and make a pretty tasty cookie from limited ingredients.  Her friendship was a real gift to us in those early days when we were still adjusting to a very new place and ministry.

I hadn't talked to Ros in a long time, then a few weeks back I received an e-mail announcing that she had passed away.  Ros had retired to Kentucky, and lived alone in a mobile home in the country.  Recent years had brought a stroke and limited mobility, as well as impaired speech.  She depended on the kindness of her church and neighbors to manage.  She passed away alone in her home.  They didn't find her until a concerned friend came to check on her.

I've thought a lot about Ros and the life she lived.  Like many missionaries of her generation that are passing from the scene, her life is unheralded.  She didn't write any books or build an empire.  She didn't promote herself.  She simply lived a life of sacrificial obedience, one day at a time, for a lifetime.  She impacted the lives of countless people with a smile, a laugh or a plate of cookies. 

The world didn't notice when Ros went away, but in heaven there was a hero's welcome as Ros entered the city, smiling from ear to ear.

Faridabad - 9 November 2008

I had a great day speaking at Grace Assembly of God in Faridabad, India.  Ivan and Nini Powar pastor this great church outside of New Delhi.  I've known them for 17 years and remember when they started the church with 6 people.  Now they have more than 2,000 people worship every weekend at 8 campuses.  Grace is one of the strongest churches in North India, on the the most gospel-resistant areas in the world.

It is great to be back in India where we spent so many years.  God is doing phenomenal things here.  I will be speaking at the Northern District Council of the Assemblies of God in Lucknow this week. 

The New Guy – 5 November 2008

I sat in a friend's office today and we unpacked this incredibly fascinating election. Like a lot of other people, my guy didn't win. I'm disappointed, but frankly, not surprised. Obama's sheer communication gifts eclipsed his opponent from the outset.

However, I get concerned when I hear people talk as if the antichrist has arrived, democracy is dead, and the judgment of God looms because Barack Obama will be our new president. Not so fast…

I believe this election and its results are part of a Sovereign God's plan. He doesn't have a party preference. He can execute His will with or without them. So how do I respond to Obama's election as a Christian and a Conservative?

First, I will pray for President Obama, his staff, and our houses of Congress, asking God to give them wisdom and courage to make the decisions that must be made to secure our future prosperity and position in the world. I believe that Mr. Obama is an authentic Christian, though I do not share his political perspective. He deserves my support in prayer.

Second, I will not lend my voice to extreme opinions about this new president that are grounded in paranoia, and hearsay, instead of fact. Enough of the hysteria.

Third, I will be loyal to my nation and its leadership while voting and voicing my opposition to policies and actions I consider not to be in our nation's best interest .

Simply put, I refuse to be another angry, unkind "Christian." The campaign is over. Let's dial down the rhetoric and get about the business of securing God's future for our nation. Let's pray the new guy does well, for the good of our nation and the generations to come.

Changes - 22 September 2008

After 10 years with our last bed, Lucy and I finally broke down and bought a new one.  It's an upgrade--a firm mattress with one of those "pillow tops."  However, our favorite feature is it's size--a King.  We love this new bed because we can sleep in the same bed while feeling like we're in the other room.  Our marriage is great, it's just that the middle years inject a new pragmatism into a relationship. We both want our space, but we're not willing to go the Ozzie and Harriett route of two single beds.

I was out of town when the bed was delivered the other day, so I anxiously collapsed into it the following evening.  I eagerly anticipated a great night's sleep.  I slept great.  However, the next morning, I woke up with some stiffness in my lower back, caused primarily by the firmness of my new mattress.  My back wasn't used to that kind of support.  I now wake up with less stiffness every day.  The adjustment continues and I'm sleeping better than I did on my old mattress.

I've marveled for years at how people want change, but they don't want the minor inconveniences that come with it.  Even when change is for the better (and if it's not, why change?), it always costs you something to adopt something new.   

Change has become the mantra of this year's presidential election.  Both candidates and parties want us to believe they can secure it with minimal pain or inconvenience.  I don't buy it.  Change always requires an adaptation, and often a sacrifice, on our part.  It costs us something.  As my friend, John Maxwell, says, "You have to give up to go up."  The question is, are we willing to suffer short-term pain for long-term benefit?  Are our leaders willing to do what's best for the long-term over the politically expedient?  Are we as a nation willing to "take our medicine" to restore our economy and our stature in the world?

On a personal level, am I willing to let God change me so that He can bring about His will in my life?  Will I bear with the aches and pains of change so I can have something better than what I have?  That crick in my back is the promise of a much better sleep in nights to come and better days to follow them.

Milestones - 5 August 2008

Life has these built-in milestones we call birthdays.  I had my 43rd yesterday.  There's nothing like an annual celebration of your mortality to make you pause and reflect.  What is my life accomplishing?  Have I made progress since last year? 

As I look back a year, it's hard to believe that this time in '07 I joined the consulting team at ISS.  The past year has been one of growth as I've learned a lot about leading, coaching and helping other people reach their dreams.  I love consulting, and I feel that God intends for me to always spend a chunk of my life serving leaders and His church as an enabler of dreams.

Another step of progress this past year has been a renewing of passion for God's purposes in the nations.  Lucy, Grace and I are rediscovering our missionary calling.  I don't know what that will look like in the future, but I sense that God's long-term plan for me will have me back in the international arena. 

A third area that I feel my heart is coming alive in is speaking and communicating.  My passion to preach and teach the Word of God has been increasing in recent months.  This has always been my core calling, and I am praying that God will allow me more open doors to give expression to that desire.

So, as I look back at 43 years, I feel like I'm in transition this birthday.  God has done some great things in and through my life to date, but I have this feeling that some major shifts are in process.  My job is to listen and prepare for whatever God may ask of me as I live number 44 with passion.

Saying Goodbye - 2 July 2008

Last week I received a call from my cousin that my 83-year-old father had been taken to the hospital.  He had a multitude of things wrong with him and has averaged a couple of hospital stays a year for the past several years.  However, this one would be his last.  Dad passed away last Thursday morning.  The last several days have been filled with family, arrangements and a funeral. 

Monday morning was pristine in southern Illinois.    The sun was shining and a gentle breeze blew big white puffy clouds through the sky.  It was as if God gave us a perfect setting to frame Dad's flag-draped casket.  He was a WWII veteran and was buried with military honors.  With every report of the 21-gun salute the reality of Dad's passing sunk deeper.  It's hard to believe he's gone. 

Times like this remind you of what's important in life.  At the end of it all, family, friends, and Jesus are all that matter.  I come from a tight-knit clan of people.  Dad loved them all.  Just recently he gave me an eloquent lecture on family and good "blood lines."  Dad loved his family, even if, like many men of his generation, he struggled to convey it.

Dad had a lot of friends.  He had a very charismatic personality--a born salesman.  Perhaps I get some of my speaking gift from him.  While his generation is rapidly passing away, all the old-timers in the area knew him well, and his younger neighbors were quick to help him in any way they could.  His latter years were spent largely isolated in his home by a weakening body, but he always kept up with everyone's comings and goings.

Dad and I spent much of our lives apart.  I'll always be grateful for the last few years when visits were more frequent and our relationship was solidified. 

I'll always remember the talks we had about faith.  Like a lot of people, Dad struggled with grace.  How could it be that God loves you and will forgive you no matter what you've done or where you are?  How is it that grace can't be and doesn't have to be earned?  However, last Wednesday, Dad had a few lucid hours.  I talked with him about the approach of death and had the privilege of praying a prayer of repentance with him.  He was gone hours later--a trophy of God's unrelenting love.

Yesterday, as I was praying, I began to pray for Dad when I caught myself.  Dad doesn't need my prayers anymore.  He is at rest in God's presence, awaiting our reunion some day.

Good night, Dad.  I'll see you in the morning.

Argentina - 29 April 2008

I had an incredible weekend last week.  EQUIP, the ministry that Lucy and I served for four years, asked me to go to Buenos Aires and train church leaders in the Million Leaders Mandate curriculum.  EQUIP has more than 1.8 million leaders enrolled in its leadership training initiative.  Lucy and I had the privilege of helping launch the program several years ago.

I taught biblical leadership to 1,000 hungry leaders from across the Buenos Aires region.  John Wood, an associate pastor at Grove Level Baptist Church in Maysville, Georgia, was my teaching partner.  I was so impressed by the caliber of the leaders there and the quality of the conference.

Our host church was Iglesia Vision de Futuro,  a thriving church pastored by Omar Cabrera.  The church has 183 sites and more than 90,000 adherents.  They have 4,000 small groups.  It was great to spend time with Pastor Omar and his family after a long time.

I came away from the conference grateful for a few days with some of the finest leaders you could ever know.  I was humbled to train leaders who have led longer and better than I have.  Most of all, I came away with a renewed sense of my call to ministry to the nations.  We'll see what doors God will open in the future.

Great Reads - 14 April 2008

I've read a couple of great books lately that I want to recommend. 

The first is It's Your Ship by Michael Abrashoff.  This is a great leadership book by a former Navy Captain.  It's full of great insights and practical leadership examples.  Abrashoff has written one of the better leadership books I've read in recent years.  It's worth a read if you lead people in any capacity.

Another great, though sobering, read is unchristian by David Kinnaman and Gabe Lyons.  Kinnaman is the president of Barna Research, and the book covers an extensive study of thousands of 16- to 30-year-olds and their views of the church.  This book was commissioned by Gabe Lyons, an old colleague of mine at INJOY, and founder of The Fermi Project.

The generation surveyed views Christianity and the Church with huge skepticism.  They see us as:

• Hypocritical
• Insincere and concerned only with converting others.
• Anti-homosexual
• Sheltered and out-of-touch
• Too political

You may get defensive as you read that list, perhaps rightfully so, but that is largely how Christians are perceived by today's teens and twenty-somethings.  My question is, how much of this perception have we earned?  Probably more than we would like to admit.

If perception is reality, we are losing the war for a new generation.  I strongly recommend this book to anyone who is serious about engaging culture and passing on the faith to emerging generations.

Why vs How

As a student of leadership I've been intrigued by the Democratic presidential primary.  I don't have a horse in this race, and frankly, I'm not thrilled with any of my choices this year.  However, I think there's a compelling leadership lesson in this race.

Barack Obama has generated incredible momentum and surged ahead of Hillary Clinton, the front-runner and favorite,  with a message of hope and change.  Most Democrats are  probably uncertain as to what that change is exactly, or how Mr. Obama plans to implement the radical change he says the country needs.  However, they are flocking to support him because he addresses why he feels America needs to change. 

Mrs. Clinton has articulated more clear policies and proposals, but she is losing the race at the moment.  This points out an important leadership principle--the "why" is always more important than the "what." 

I often point this out to the pastors I work with as we try to present a God-given vision to their congregations. People will not sacrifice unless the "why" is compelling.  No matter how good the "what" is, it's the "why" that moves us.

People are moved by vision.  The visionaries always have the advantage, all else being equal.  My sense is that vision will win the day in the Democratic primary.

Easter Morning - 23 March 2008

I'm sitting in my study this morning reflecting on the most powerful event in human history--the resurrection of Jesus Christ. We often think of the cross as the turning point in history, and it is.  However, the cross is nothing more than an ugly and painful assassination of a religious zealot if Jesus didn't rise from the dead.

The resurrection is the historical event that distinguishes the Christian world view from every other.  Today, our culture tells us that Christianity is just one option among many on a spiritual smorgasbord.  "Find what works for you," they tell us.  Christianity, Islam, Buddhism, Hinduism...it's all the same.

The resurrection begs to differ.  Today, Jesus still stands at an empty tomb, as he did when Mary and Martha approached that first Easter.  He welcomes us to come with our pain, our confusion and our questions.  He reveals Himself as our solution, as humanity's hope.  This God is not fragile.  He has overcome the grave.  He is Risen!