President’s Perspective

THE CALL: SPRING/SUMMER 2022    |    1.5 MINUTE READ
DR. DAN SCHAFER, PRESIDENT OF WORLD GOSPEL MISSION

It was a paralyzing moment. I suddenly and unexpectedly found myself frozen in place. I was visiting Hungary with my wife and some friends. One of the stops we made was at the Esztergom Basilica, a beautiful domed cathedral. As we walked around this magnificent structure, we came across a sign by a staircase that pointed upward indicating access to the dome. Of course, we couldn’t pass that up—the cathedral was beautiful, but the dome promised an extraordinary view inside above the sanctuary and outside across the nearby majestic Danube River.

I thought the stairs would lead directly into the dome itself, but when I opened the door at the top, I found that it led outside onto the roof. And we were much higher up—and much further from the dome—than I had realized. To access the dome would require us to walk across the top of the roof on two narrow wooden planks that were affixed to the roof and flanked on one side by what appeared to me to be a thin, flimsy rail.

Now, something you should know. I have an extreme fear of heights. The thought of crossing that primitive looking walkway caused every muscle in my body to seize up. Everything inside of me was yelling for me to turn around. I could easily turn around, but I knew I would never forgive myself if I missed out on the spectacular sights that awaited us. So I made myself take that first step onto the planks. As they creaked beneath me, I took another, and then another. Although, doubting its ability to hold me, I was clinging to that railing the whole time. By sheer grit, I made it to the dome. And let me tell you, the view at the end was worth every shaky step and every pounding heartbeat.

This issue tells stories of people who took a similar path. People who faithfully took one step after another while they waited for God to show them their destination. People like Tony, who after forty years of serving in one location found himself unable to return there. People like Elizabeth, who lost her vision and took a four-day journey by foot to find healing.

It is my hope that these stories will help you find the courage to take whatever step God has placed in front of you while you wait on Him, that you can find meaning in the waiting. And may you discover at the end of that journey that the reward at the end was more than worth each step, no matter how terrifying, no matter how difficult.