Last December I found myself at the end of my ministry rope. I have served as a bi-vocational pastor for the last 25 years and never participated in a sabbatical. The night of January 5th I went to bed with the excitement of my sabbatical that was due to start the following day. As you might have read in previous posts, December 5th was the worst day of my life. The death of my son Gregory was a devastating blow and a nightmare that has continued everyday since.
I attended church just hours after being woke from a dead sleep only to be told that my son was in a car crash and lost his life. I was determined to soldier on. I postponed my spiritual rest because I needed church more than anything. I needed worship, hope and fellowship like I need air in my lungs. The very thing that was driving me crazy brought clarity in the midst of chaos. I am very grateful for the people in my church that allowed me to be broken and continue to serve.
A lesson for us all; timing is everything. The time to take my sabbatical was not the time "I" had planned. God knows what is best for me because He loves me. I would have not survived without the very thing that I thought was making me miserable. There is a time and a purpose for everything under the sun.
Tam (my wife) and I spent a week Maui recently and God revealed to me the proper timing. The time is now. I addressed my congregation last week and announced my leave of absence from all ministerial duties. While on vacation, I sat by the beautiful ocean alone and realized that the dust had settled. There is a time to continue and a time to stop. This is my time to stop.
A lesson for us all; there is a time to mourn. You may think that morning is for those who are left behind when a loved one dies; that would be a mistake. All of you reading this now have suffered some type of loss that needs to be mourned. God reveals the time but remains silent on the process. It's not that He leaves us alone during this time, He just allows us the time to figure it out and faithfully holds our hand every step on the journey.
I have come to the realization that this season, though heart wrenching, will be productive, fruitful and purposeful. If you have been "soldiering on" there may be a time for you to take this journey as well. Timing is everything!
