Turning Setbacks into Comebacks

When Samson (my partner and friend) tragically and unexpectedly passed away last August, there were many (including me) who thought PFW's work in Nigeria might be over or at the least delayed for quite some time. To say the wind was taken out of our sails would be an understatement. As I expressed in my March 15 blog post, without Samson's vision and dedication, none of what has been accomplished in Nigeria would have been possible. However, we must go on.

I have known, and been advised, for several years, of the importance of developing a succession plan for our partner organization in Nigeria, just in case something happened. While I knew the importance of doing this, and planned to do it, I never did. When Samson passed, I was not only devastated and depressed, but I was entirely unprepared to go on without him. Thankfully, our partners at CFF (our partner organization in Nigeria) weren't as unprepared as I was. Samson's wife, Ann (the organization's co-chair), Gideon Kadon (Samson's right-hand man), and oldest son Abraham were prepared to continue.

Once again, Samson impressed me in ways I had never been impressed by before. The legacy he prepared and left could not be deterred by his death. Though family and team grieved for a season and will never be the same, they knew his vision must go on and that they were the vehicles to carry that vision. Since his passing, through this team's leadership on the ground,  we have completed five projects:

Witnessing the team's resilience and desire to continue in the mission has been inspiring and enlightening. The concept of turning setbacks into comebacks is not new to me; however, this is the first time I have witnessed it in such a personal manner. I have always believed in the mission, but watching this team reassemble after I thought they may scatter following the tragedy has made me more resolute in the mission. 

Not only did this make me more resolute in the mission, but it has also caused me to ponder how important the things I consider essential are. What am I willing to continue after I have endured tragedy? I have discovered that some things are not critical enough to continue after tragedy; conversely, I have learned that there are essentials I will always do. This exercise has led me to dismiss from my life those things that I thought were critical but aren't, and to embrace those things further that will always be essential.

JT