Hello Workload



There are a few reasons I've been thinking about workload, how I handle workload, what to do with the workload...

Last week was my turn to preach at the Saturday night church where my husband and I serve as campus pastors--the topic of the sermon. Work.

Last week, we had a huge event that I had been planning for months. Crunch time had me thinking about work.

Our staff is looking ahead into 2012 and making ministry plans and goals. I've had to revisit my work to make sure these plans and goals are a priority. More work.

In all of this, I've leaned heavily on our youth ministry team--and on our assistant--Matt Fry.

Last Thursday morning, both of us felt like we had been punched in the face by youth ministry. We had an incredible circus event where teenagers enjoyed life together, laughed, and heard a message of hope. Good things came from this--too many to count--and we are grateful. But we still felt flattened a little by the steamroller called "Wednesday".

The cool part--we both felt this way. There's something about sharing a burden that makes it lighter.

Moses father-in-law gave good ol' Moses a lecture on this once.
(Exodus 18:17-18)

He said,

"What are you doing is not good."

Can you just see him sitting Moses down for a little talk? Shaking his head...

"You and these people who come to you will only wear yourselves out."

He noticed Moses trying to do things in his own strength.

"The work is too heavy for you: you cannot handle it alone"

Wisdom breathes.

The power in these words remind me how we need help. "Two heads are better than one", my teachers in school used to say during group projects. So often we want to own everything about our work and we forget the gains of sharing the load. We can't be afraid to ask our colleagues and friends for help. They may have the final piece to the puzzle or that key idea you've been looking for. Sometimes, all it takes is three minutes chatting with Matt to figure out a creative solution to a problem. Sometimes all it takes is airing a challenge before our staff. Sometimes, all I need is a few minutes to share my fears and frustrations with another human being--relieving the lonely feeling and gaining the support that comes with prayer and edification.

We are better together.

Why do I have such a hard time asking for help? Why do you?

Do we fear that someone else will get the credit for what we've done, or that we'll have to share? I'm guessing a little.
Do we fear admitting that we aren't perfect as we reach out for help or support? Sometimes.

Look to Moses, sitting as judge over Israel, helping people settle things from dawn until dusk every day, for an answer to your workload--get help. Allow others to lift you. Lift others when they are in need and remember it's God who we work for, not human beings. And it's God who we please when we do so.

I can't do this alone.

I need help.

I'm not perfect.

I still make mistakes.

Good ideas come from everywhere. I have a few, but there are so many more if I look around.

Some of my ideas stink.

I need people to tell me that.

Some of my ideas are great.

I need people to tell me that too.

When we go hard. We need help.

When we need rest. We need help to find it.

I hope as we face the work before us that we would never be lone ranger youth leaders. I hope that we would share the burdens, challenges, puzzles, questions, joys, parties, and wonders together.

Hello workload--we're ready for you.

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