Even though it\u2019s happened, I still can hardly believe it.<\/p>\n
We merged. We moved. We\u2019re here.<\/p>\n
After months of conversing, praying, thinking, and planning, it happened. And, again, I still can hardly believe it. But here\u2019s the good news, no great<\/em> news: it\u2019s going so much better than I thought it would. Being a perennial optimist, my hopes were high\u2014sky high\u2014and somehow my expectations have been exceeded. It\u2019s comforting to know that I\u2019m not alone in either my optimism or evaluation. The whole team is singing the same song.<\/p>\n Undeniably, this is a God thing.<\/p>\n You don\u2019t just merge two long-standing ministries\u2014complete with established ways of doing things, strong personalities, successful histories, and future plans\u2014without incident. It just doesn\u2019t happen; it can\u2019t happen.<\/p>\n Until it does.<\/p>\n So here we are. The transition has been more than seamless, it\u2019s been downright fun, exhilarating even. Already many of the \u201cpros\u201d we talked about prior to merging are materializing: joint projects, synergistic brainstorming, spirited fellowship, and directional planning. The future is looking bright, and the present is already pure joy. Hardly a day goes by that someone doesn\u2019t have some new idea that they\u2019re promoting with bubbling enthusiasm. The atmosphere is pregnant with potential and we all feel it.<\/p>\n Here\u2019s a case in point: the 2011 Year End Report. We worked long and hard on this. There were many late nights which turned into early mornings. The deadlines were tight, the ideas were many, but we pulled it off. It was hard work, yes, but it was also a real joy. The end product was better, far better, than any one of us could have done alone. What\u2019s more, the theme of the Year End Report was itself synergy<\/em>, which means \u201cworking together.\u201d<\/p>\n This will, I am persuaded, be the first of many such successes. As Scripture says, \u201ctwo are better than one\u201d (Eccl. 4:9) and \u201cit is not good that man should be alone\u201d (Gen. 2:18). This latter verse, of course, deals with the creation and blessing of marriage, but the more fundamental point is that we are social beings who usually function better together than we do alone<\/em>. Here at Light Bearers we are seeing this borne out.<\/p>\n