Part 2
Our company had just departed. The evening was fun; our hearts and stomachs were full. The pile of dishes waited like an impatient boss as they sat on the countertop next to the sink. Ugh!
Cathy and I both went into "task mode." This wasn't the time to check email, watch TV or write tomorrow's blog post. It wasn't the time to prop up with a good book. It was time to do dishes and clean up the kitchen. We set about doing the chores quickly, yet methodically. In less than twenty minutes we were done!
Yesterday's story, about a lady who was down in the dumps as she procrastinated about some simple tasks, was true. But it was also a parable. And it gives significant understanding to my recent realities.
I have been under incessant deadlines and pressures. You could say that the week I am behind in sermon preparation (I'm usually 3 weeks ahead; right now it's only 2) is like an unwashed plate on the cabinet. Then there's the planning for dinners we will host as part of a special project -- like a dirty glass. Then the planning for a giving emphasis for our future campus development -- like a crusted baking pan.
Add in the sickness that has at times compressed our staff -- like a dirty bowl. And the death in my assistant's immediate family -- like a stack of silverware. And the associate pastor away for a much-needed vacation -- like a another dinner plate.
Oh, I need to mention the day and a half away for my wife to undergo outpatient surgery (in Phoenix, difficult recuperation, but she's getting much better now) -- like a greasy skillet.
And, to top it all off, we are approaching our largest outreach event of the year this Saturday (Family Fall Festival) -- like a whole stack of dinnerware.
You see, my life can get stacked up just easily as that lady who called her pastor. Yours can, too. And, if we don't stop what we're doing to take care of business, we will probably be "down in the dumps."
Doing of the dishes. Putting life into perspective and avoiding the blues.
That's why I haven't written much on Dwell and Cultivate lately.
Tomorrow, I want to share about it from one more angle; that as a leader.
4 comments:
Life abounds on us and just keeps going. It doesn't stop because we're overwhelmed. "The Blues" don't help us out of it. Only makes matters worse. Thank God He is always there with His hand out to help us up, His "wings" open for us to snuggle into. I've found that it's okay to "wallow in self pity" for a little while. Allowing myself that(short)time seems to help pull me out of it. It's like confession - good for the soul.
That's so true - and sometimes all you have to do is break it down like that, into little steps, to make it all feel manageable again. (Not that it always works...)
All the best to Cathy for a speedy recovery.
Thanks for sharing, Sam. I have been praying about the FFF (my pet abbreviation for the Family Fall Festival). I know this is the time of year that things really "stack up" for you and the others in the church office.
Thanks, Chewie, Rachel C and Ranelle!
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