by Mark Milioni
I t has been quite a journey. The last six months of 2012 brought incredible change to my life and to the lives of my family, the faculty, staff, and students of BBC, and even their families. It has been a very emotional time, a hard time, a very revealing time, and honestly a rewarding time. Sometimes it seems I am so busy that I miss just taking time to stop and think or look back. But when I do this, one thought comes to mind: It’s worth it.
Yes, I am overwhelmed at what we are facing. Yes, I am perplexed at how we are going to make it all happen. Yes, I have concerns. Yes, I have great questions. But I see such potential, hope, and excitement that it drives me to give my all because I know, it’s worth it.
I think “Is it worth it?” is a good question to ask when looking at your plans for the new year. Maybe even looking at your schedule for the week, for how you use your money, or even what you watch on television. The reason we don’t risk more, try more, do more is because we don’t feel it’s worth the time, expense, or effort. I tell you from my personal experience — as a parent, as a pastor, as a professor — BBC is worth it.
My wife, in her loving ways, shares verses and thoughts that, while they encourage, they also convict me. Recently on one of “those days” she sent me some verses I needed. This stood out: 2 Corinthians 4:17, “For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory.” You know what this means — no matter what we are going through, all the struggles and hard decisions, all the asking, travel, moving, difficult conversations, planning, and praying — it’s worth it.
Because it’s worth it in 2013 we are going to:
- Recruit students more effectively
- Raise and use funds more efficiently
- Respond, listen, and communicate more earnestly
- Reach more for Christ in Springfield and around the world
We all know BBC has been through a lot. We have been the center of controversy, we have been the object of criticism, and we have faced some incredible difficulties. So why are we still here? Why do we continue to exist despite all of our faults and failures? There is just something about BBC that God has used in thousands of lives — degrees have been earned, marriages and lifelong friendships have been made, ministries have been started, untold thousands have been reached for Christ — there is truly a special love in our Fellowship for our beloved BBC. I believe we can all say, “It’s worth it.”
As a new year gift to you we will be posting a series of messages on prayer. It is our hope that these messages might encourage and help you start your new year off with an emphasis on prayer and seeking God. Please go to: www.gobbc.edu.