A couple of weeks ago, I had the privilege of chaperoning a group of students from my church on a mission trip to Puerto Rico through Passport Camps.
We spent almost a year preparing. We planned, raised money, learned about Puerto Rico, and talked about what it means to show up as guests and partners rather than people with all the answers.
Even with all that preparation, I found myself carrying a quiet anxiety once we arrived.
Would this week be meaningful for our students? Would they leave changed? Would they have the kind of experience we had hoped for?
One night during worship, I realized: transformation isn’t something we can manufacture.
Our job was never to produce life-changing moments. Our job was simply to create space—to show up with open hearts, to serve with humility, to pay attention, and to trust that God was already present and at work in ways we might never fully see.
That realization was freeing.
So much of faith (and leadership) is learning to let go of outcomes. We plant seeds. We build relationships. We practice love and justice. We make room for grace. What grows from those moments isn’t ours to control. If they were, the results would be so much less impactful.
I’m grateful for what our students experienced that week. But I’m even more grateful for the reminder that God doesn’t ask us to manage transformation. God simply invites us to be faithful, present, and willing to join in the work that’s already unfolding.