He sat in my office exhausted and discouraged. No, he wasn't
about to abandon the ministry to which he'd been called. In many
ways he lived with a deep sense of privilege. He had been chosen
and gifted to be a minister of the gospel, but he was tired, and
his work had taken a toll on his family. He was able to admit
that he said yes too much, sought to establish personal control
over too many things, and worked way too much. He had thought
that his deep dedication and unending schedule were the result
of the motivation and loyalty of faith, but in midst of his
exhaustion and his family's protest, he began to wonder. Could
it be that this life of frenetic energy and constant ministry
focus was driven by something else? His wife told him again and
again that he needed to be around more for their four children.
She told him that even when he was home, he often wasn't
"there." And in his quiet, self-reflective moments he had to
admit that his heart wasn't at rest. Little did my pastor friend
know that he was not