In a previous blog we looked at the highs and lows of the recruitment process and how at Emmaus, we want to be here for the whole journey. We recognise that the process of applying for a new position, only to be knocked back, can be emotionally draining and spiritually disorientating; particularly if we felt like we were following God’s prompting in stepping out the boat.
That’s why Emmaus are so committed to supporting you through the process, offering encouragement, constructive feedback and a reliable sounding board. For whilst the setbacks are hard to swallow at times, we also firmly believe that they are necessary for the development and growth of the kind of leaders our church schools so desperately need.
For whilst it is natural for us as humans to try to avoid things that are difficult and uncomfortable, time and time again both the scriptures and life experience teach us that it is through trials and adversity that the growth and depth happens most.
A striking example of this can be seen in the Biopshere 2 Project, a research facility designed to help scientists study the Earth’s living systems. The trees in Biosphere 2 were given the perfect conditions to grow, and they shot up far quicker than trees outside the dome. However, much to the scientists' frustration and growing fascination, the trees kept toppling over before they reached maturity.
The reason for this? A lack of wind.
It transpired that the role of the wind, battering the trees back and forth as they grew in the natural world, forced them to push their roots deep enough to be able to hold themselves at full height. If you removed the wind, they might flourish for a season, but they wouldn’t have the depth and inner strength to stay standing for the long haul.
Here at Emmaus, we are committed to supporting both candidates and church schools to flourish into the kind of leaders and education centres God intends them to be. We recognise that the recruitment process is full of uncomfortable setbacks and challenges. However, we trust that “in all things God works for the good of those who love him and have been called according to his purposes” (Romans 8:28).
If we are to grow into the kind of school leaders that are able to withstand the weight of responsibility entrusted to us, we must recognise that this takes time and a healthy amount of “wind” for our roots to go deep. This is hard but also deeply good. For as author Rich Villodas so aptly states:
“What God does in us as we wait is as important as what we’re waiting for”.