As a young pastor in my first appointment I’ve found myself in a lot of different emotional places lately.
First is the pure excitement that comes with not knowing what each day will bring. There are days where the phone rings, someone comes in, or something breaks and the whole day can shift. Honestly, there have been very few instances of repeat days. Every day seems a little different in some way or another. It is fascinating in a lot of ways, but sometimes it can drive me a little crazy.
The second thing that I’ve realized is that I have to be dependent on my calendar as never before. The relationship with my calendar has now grown to something that I never could have imagined. I find myself scheduling time to write things, read things, or just call people to check in on them. If I don’t schedule it, it won’t happen (hence the delay in the blog lately).
The last thing is the thrill of Christmas Eve. We talked on Christmas Eve about how thrill is that emotional place between anxiety and excitement. Well, as my first Christmas Eve services came and went, I can safely say that was the feeling I had. It is thrilling to Know that on one day of the year we (as the church) have the capacity to impact so many people. It is truly an incredible honor.
So, as I sit at the kitchen table and reflect, I find myself taking a deep breath. The night was amazing, the people were awesome, and church was full of the Holy Spirit.
My hope and prayer for you as we find ourselves in this lull between Christmas and New Year is to take a minute for a deep breath and do a little emotional inventory. Slowing down is exactly how we get the new year off to the right start.
Where in your life do you need to slow down?
What is working for you right now? What needs to be changed? What are you willing to do about it?
Want to watch a replay of Christmas Eve? Click here.