I am definitely feeling a nasty headache from a really nice catch in my back right now. I hate it. I get these muscles in my back from time to time that just knot up and hurt. Every doctor I have been to says that I wear my stress on my body. Well right now my body is taking it pretty seriously.
I find myself always talking about how I have a lot going on right now, which is always true and I never feel like I have downtime, it goes back to the issue of giving myself time to relax and do nothing rather than just taking on too much. It sounds so easy. Last week Susan, Hayden and I left town headed for Tampa, to spend time with our families. For the first time ever I actually went down there and did nothing, OK not actually nothing we did a lot...we attended two worship services on the Sunday we were there, one of which I preached, drove hundreds of miles, seeing all of our friends, basically we ran around like chickens with our heads cut off. I think it would suffice to say we were as busy there as we typically are at home, just with different things. I got home only to have a lot to do. I think that is the problem with leaving town. When you get home you still have a ton of work, actually twice as much. What relief of stress is that? Anyway.
Yesterday was actually a good catch up day, I really felt good getting back in to the swing. I have declared a new schedule for myself although it may change as I work out the bugs, but we'll see:
Monday: Administrative day
Tuesday: Off
Wednesday: People Day
Thursday: People Day
Friday: People Day
Saturday: Family Day
Sunday: Lord, Help me.
That is the way it is looking right now, I have never actually taken that day off before, so today is the first time. My wife has loaded me up with "Honey Do's" I am so pumped! As I thought through this and prayed about it I came up with this because I have been asking God to help me better use my time that I can be more about Kingdom business. That means no more admin during the week (Okay, I know that isn't totally realistic, but I am going to try)
Last Friday, in the car driving home from Tampa, sleeping baby, I had a revelation while talking to my wife. I guess it isn't a real revelation, because I knew it. But I guess it was just one of those; my wife is the smartest woman alive moments, because she got me to realize something so important about what I do. I 've known this little factoid and you've heard it too:
"People are LOST - that means they are going to die in hell. These are people that God has given you the opportunity to touch and your purpose is to love them, and allow them to meet Him. Because you are SAVED."
I feel like I have been on this journey to PurposeLand lately, and slowly I am pulling into the parking lot. I hope to get on some of the big rides soon, but I am sure that for a while I will hang around in KiddyKingdom until I really begin to see God's bigger picuture for me in the largest and truest since. I pray that in time I will, I know he'll be ready to show me...
Jason Retherford said...
Chris,
Welcome back from your trip. It sounds like what happens to my wife and I on our vacations to home.
I appreciate your heart here, sharing your struggle to balance ministry and family. Brother, if there is one thing I have learned in the last two years, is balance is important. Sometimes, I get distracted on my day off, and well that day is almost sacred for my wife. It is her time, or family time, and she gets really frustrated with me when I violate our agreemenet.
I will be in prayer for you this morning about your schedule and being able to balance all these things. God bless brother!
Niki said...
You are not alone! I hear this all the time from other y.m.'s including my husband. I hate treating youth ministry like a regular job, but I tend to because the church is definitely run like a business. Why is it that at a regular job you get 2 days off per week (the weekend) yet in ministry you feel guilty for taking 1 day for your family or yourself? Or even worse, others don't think you should have that time off? I don't buy that Sundays is a day of rest for y.m.'s...you know as well as I do that it's a work day for us. A very wise man once told me that there will always be one more thing to do, one more person to convert, one more thing to take up your time...you have to find balance. The balancing act is definitely a tricky thing. Here's my opinion. There IS always going to be something more to do, but our first responsibility is to our FAMILY. It was God's first institution, even before the birth of the church. I don't want to be in heaven someday standing beside my friends and those I've brought to Christ, and my husband or children not be there with me. I don't want to spend all of my time on everyone else, and get so burned out that I lose my hope.
You are in my prayers today. I hope you find the purpose and balance you're looking for. I hope you find an outlet for your stress. I hope you find rest and peace. God bless you Chris.
