Sabbatical

By now, I'm sure that a formal announcement has been made and I can publicly state that I am currently taking a sabbatical from my duties at Abundant Grace Ministries. There are reasons for the time away, the main one being that I need some time to recover from ministry burnout. Just to put any rumors to rest, I have not quit, I am not upset at anyone, and I was not asked to leave my position. (Why is it that rumors can sometimes find the most fertile ground in a church setting?)

What do I plan to do while I'm not at AGM? I'll continue my responsibilities at Union University and Mid-South Community College. More importantly, I'll be taking time for resting, reflecting, and praying. I'm not too proud to say that I'm emotionally wasted and need a chance to recharge my batteries and put some past hurts behind me. Plans are being made to take some long weekend trips as well as spend some quality time with my family. Who knows, I may pop into your neck of the woods in the coming months....

Taking a sabbatical doesn't mean that I stop living or that I stop doing things. It just means that the responsibilities of the ministry position are not on my shoulders or my mind at this point. I'm only a week into the time off and I have to consciously remind myself to avoid things related to my job. For example, I visited the Lifeway Christian store on the campus of Union University last week. I was there looking for a new Bible (more on that later this week). I had some time to kill before my next appointment and I couldn't read another page of my novel -- my eyes can only take so much! I was browsing the store and caught myself wandering into the teaching resources. I laughed out loud as I reminded myself that finding material of this nature was someone else's responsibility for the next little while. I wondered back into the safety of looking at Bible studies (I was choosing one for my personal use), made my selection, and headed to the car.

I am extremely thankful for a wonderful church family and caring Pastor who have generously allowed me to take this sabbatical in order to return to my ministry responsibilities fully rested and refreshed. I'll return to work at AGM on July 15. Until then, I'm taking a few extra deep breaths as I stop to smell the roses.

Posted with Blogsy