The sound of treadle sewing machines can be heard throughout the various slums where Jacaranda Creations’ women work diligently to stitch beautiful new products for you. Preparation is the best way to describe what I see happening here, particularly in the leadership team. God is readying these beautiful women to step into something he’s been preparing for some time now. You can tell this is what’s happening because of the growing pains. But if you look carefully, you may notice that what seems like chaos is really cultivation (have you read The Shack?).
Everyone is learning new skills, new business practices, and new work habits as they strive to step away from their small organization paradigm and revision themselves as a medium size organization. The product line is expanding, sales and marketing practices are developing, and operational efficiencies are enforced. All this growth is occurring amidst frequent power shortages, upcoming election unrest, and fluctuating resources.
Even with all this cultivation, I can’t help but come away with this feeling that I was in the midst of something spiritual…something beautiful. I look back over my shoulder as I walk away for the last time and feel like there’s so much more I could do, would do…just so that I don’t have to leave.