Stressed Out

Sorry I haven't posted yet this week. Things have been a bit hectic. In every job there are times when things are stressful. I can honestly say that the last several weeks have been really stressful. Here at Calvary we've been making lots of plans for the upcoming year as well as preparing for Holy Week. In addition to that, Scott and I are closing on a house tomorrow. It's the first house either of us has ever bought so all of this is new to us. There's lot of paperwork, and a seemingly endless line of decisions, big and small, to be made. Then there's the packing, and the painting and the moving. And all of that adds up to a stressed out me.

But today, I have had one of those days that reminds me why I love my job so much. I got to visit with several different people today. The new materials we are using for the college age bible study we are starting just arrived. And I got to have lots of very genuine conversations with people. That's what I love about my job. I love building relationships with people. I love helping people connect with God. I love being able to be present with people when they are hurting or struggling or just needing to know someone cares. I love talking with people about their faith and encouraging them in their journeys.

I don't so much love all the meetings and all the committees. I do them because they are a means to all those other things that I do love. They help to plan and organize for the events or classes or worship services that help connect people to God. But they are not an end in themselves.

And right now, even though my to-do list is still long. Even though I have a very busy weekend of dealing with house stuff in from of me and still haven't written my sermon. Despite all of that, I'm way less stressed then when I woke up this morning. I'm way less stressed because I got to experience the things I'm passionate about. I got to use the gifts that God has given me and I got to experience the presence of God in my life and in the community around me because I used the gifts God has given me.

We all experience stress in life. There's no way to avoid it entirely. We can minimize it, and we can manage it but the stress is still there. So it's important to have good coping mechanisms in place. I know for me, one of my coping mechanisms is to be intentional about doing something I'm passionate about. That's the funny thing about the way God works. The things that we do that are live-giving, and encouraging for others, are often the very things that are life-giving and uplifting for us. I spent the day caring for other people, and in turn, found myself in the presence of God, and more full of life or energy than I have been all week.

How is your energy and stress level this week? When was the last time you did something you're really passionate about?