blog on vacation

Comment on yesterday's blog:
Why do you do the blog if you are on vacation, and then talk about busyness?

Hmmm. Busted. Maybe.

Here is a better question. Why do I go to the office for an hour and take phone calls from members when I am on vacation?

Poor guy, its a hard life. Lets all get out our little violins for Jeffy. What should I do tell the good folks that "I am on vaca, call me next week?"

The world of being a pastor is just the world that it is. It is different than anything that I know of, and it comes with its own set of joys and concerns.

Let me just talk about that for a moment. What are the hardest things about being a pastor?
-not feeling worthy
-working hard to do your best and having people complain
-everyone wants a piece of you, and now.
-asking people to be committed in ways that are difficult, ways that they resist.
-saying things that are unpopular
-having no place to hide
-having people love the church for years and then they just quit
-knowing that the work will never be "done"
-the effects of this life on your children
-its hard to go out of town for the weekend

You might say, "well if it is so hard, why don't you just quit?"

Well, it is hard sometimes, but I am not unhappy. I did not choose this profession, I am called to it. Hardly any of you know this, but I did quit once, many years ago. I was a young man and the pressure of it all just ate my lunch. But, I missed begin a pastor. Like Jeremiah said, "God's words were like fire in my bones."

That would be an interesting topic for this blog. How did I get called into the ministry? I can't tell you in person, but maybe I could tell you in the blog. Let me think about that.

Anyway, all things considered, life is good, love is true, pain heals, and I am going to paint the house today. Call me if you want to. I love you and I will gladly answer the phone.

Its a beautiful day in God's world, be sure to see the good.