Family Guy – 28 April, 2008
Ok, Time for a bit of reality and honesty ...
I’ve been pretty busy lately ... busy and a little stressed, too.
Focus on the Family has been drawing a lot of my energy. Like a lot of organisations, we’re feeling the pinch financially. Plus there’s quite a few new initiatives that need my input.
Life at home is frenetic to say the least ... I shared recently that I have kids that are at a high maintenance toddler stage, and never, never seem to slow down. My pregnant wife is doing a great job, but is tiered much easier than usual.
With winter comes coughs and colds, which usually missing interrupted sleep, getting up for coughing and crying kids.
I’m part of a small church, where it’s all hands to the plough.
All work that needs to be done. But I found myself slowing; missing things that I’d usually notice; I was getting grumpy with the kids and with Jes.
I shared this with a bunch of guys, and asked for some prayer. Their comments were all basically that I needed a kick to get the margins back in my life ... all is important work, but is the world going to stop if I don’t get to it?
I spent the next day reorganising my calendar to add breathing room.
This week, I feel like a different person – none of those needs have gone away, they are just prioritised into the confines of do-able activities.
HB London talks about the dangers of stress and burn-out on Pastors. He said, “When was the last time you read Psalm 88? I'm telling you — there was a man who was really going through some rough water.”
He also mentioned some "tell-tale" signs of depression. Things like sadness; appetite imbalance; never feeling rested; being always tired & not being able to concentre or listen properly; mood swings and feelings of loneliness.
There are others, but if you, like me find that this is starting to be reflected in your own life, it’s time to stop and take stock.
The Bible tells us in Isaiah 26, that God keeps in perfect peace the person whose mind is fixed on Jesus. If we’re not there, we need to get there, at whatever cost.
If you don’t it will all start crumbing down, and that usually starts with the marriage and the family ... it slips through your fingers, as you struggle to keep up the smiling facade.
You can get a copy of this, as well as help and resources to fight burnout from our Online Resource Centre – Family.org.nz. I’ll catch you next week, with more from the Family Guy.
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