Do you ever feel like life is out of balance?
You are being pulled too many directions at the same time?
You are trying to juggle too many chainsaws while keeping too many plates spinning?
You are having too many metaphors tossed at you?
A little over seven months ago, I got an invitation to step out of my comfort zone. I guess I could technically say that I got invited to step into an old comfort zone that I moved away from many years ago. A comfort zone for which I have lost some muscle memory and in which there have been so many changes that my old muscle memory wouldn’t have helped much.
Almost thirteen years ago, I left the pastorate to begin my ministry as Executive Director/Lead Strategist of Harvest Baptist Association, a regional network of churches across three counties.
One of the churches in my association is the First Baptist Church in Decatur. Last fall their incredibly gifted young (like the age of my kids young) worship pastor sensed a strong calling from God to make a major move to go and serve as a bi-vocational music minister in a small church in a small town in Colorado.
At his recommendation, the pastor called me and asked if I would be open to serving as their interim worship pastor while they navigated their staff search process.
Now it has been thirty-three years since I was on a church staff as music minister. At that time I was balancing part-time church staff, full-time seminary studies, and marriage to a young wife expecting our first child.
All these years later, I’ve been trying to balance part-time church staff, full-time job as Director of HBA, marriage to the same young wife (see what I did there), trying to see four grandkids as much as possible, and—oh yeah—a world trying to negotiate a global pandemic.
Much of the audio/visual technology we are using in church music today didn’t even exist when church music was my primary ministry. It’s not simply that my small churches couldn’t afford it—it had not even been invented yet!
To tell the truth, it’s been taxing physically, emotionally, and spiritually. Just a few years ago, I would have been totally over my head.
But in the midst of all of it, what I have learned over 43 years of “church” work has served me well in this season. Here’s the top lesson:
“Balance” is an illusion.
Multi-tasking and trying to give attention to all of those things at once will drive you over the edge.
Here’s how to not only survive, but experience Amazing in the midst of the craziness.
Focus on one thing at a time and be fully present where you are. That helps you give your best to each situation.
Trust your team. There are gifted people around who need the opportunity to be part of something bigger than themselves.
Draw your strength, vision, and motivation from God. When you give yourself to something that matters, you realize that it’s far beyond your capabilities. But not His.
The past 6 months with FBCD have been a unique blessing to this old music minister. Yesterday, Easter, was my last Sunday with them and I am honored to have been part of this journey.
What invitation outside your comfort zone do you need to consider to be part of something bigger than yourself?
Be amazing today, my friend.
