this ministry thing

The mornings you can't string two thoughts together even though you have a Bible study to lead in 10 minutes.

The shaking in your limbs when you explain the gospel to a friend, and you don't know how it's possible, but it seems she's beginning to understand.

The realisation, weeks later, that this is going to take time.

The day 10 people come to your Bible study, and there's energy and enthusiasm and laughter in the room.

The day only 2 people come, and you're able to help them far more than you could if there were others there.

The times you drag your feet to yet another meeting when you want to go home, curl up in a ball, and go to sleep.

The hour when a mentoring relationship comes together and you both realise how much you mean to each other and how much you're learning.

The same mentoring relationship coming to an end a week later.

Seeing how differently God's thoughts flow through the mind of a co-worker, and learning to see thing differently yourself.

The hole that's left behind when that friend and co-worker leaves.

Watching people you've trained, years later, serving Jesus faithfully and helping others know and grow in him.

That precious moment when the light dawns in your Christian sister's face and she gets assurance - finally gets it! - for the very first time.

Ministry.