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May 22, 2019

Back to work. For some, the mere thought of going back to work after a week or two away is enough to send them into a depression. I have to admit, there are those Mondays (and for this preacher, some Sundays) when I wake up with the first thought on my mind being, “Do I HAVE to do this?” But not today. After three Sundays away and the funeral of a good friend Monday, I was ready to get back to it today. The coffee was ready when at 8:00 my friends arrived for our regular Wednesday morning prayer time. 

It was a full morning, prayer shaped by Scripture, planning for the summer’s community outreach, and outlining Sunday’s service and sermon. The time away wasn’t exactly vacation; the usual teaching and preaching in Cuba was compounded with counseling and pastoral visitation in peoples’ homes, something I never imagined doing in another country. It wasn’t vacation, but it was fulfilling. Experiences like this help me understand what Jesus meant when he told his disciples, “My food is to do the will of my Heavenly Father.” It’s really true—no matter how much work is involved, a life centered on God doesn’t drain us; it fulfills us. Tonight my heart is full and I am thankful. As the psalmist says, “My soul shall praise him.” Mine does. It truly does.