Today (written on August 12th) is exactly two weeks since I arrived in Roanoke VA to meet my family. Technically I arrived in the States Sunday evening but had to spend the night in Charlotte waiting for my morning flight.
This week the craziness of furlough traveling begins….
But I set aside two-weeks for rest first.
By rest I don’t mean two-weeks in bed (though I did take naps!). It refers to time with family, slowing down to reflect, and thinking about the future. For me it is a chance to take a deep breath before hitting the road.
My time with family has been wonderful! And it reminded me of something
I need more seasons of rest
It’s not really possible to totally unplug from ministry for an extended time like I did for the last two weeks. But it IS POSSIBLE to bring in habits of rest that give a break from the hectic pace of ministry.
- Like having a day off each week….and not a day off where you run around trying to complete all the errands you didn’t complete that week!
- Shutting down in the evening: no ministry work at all after dinner
- and planning short times during the year (three or four days) to get away, and refresh your soul.
I am totally ready for the craziness of furlough
but only because I took a deep breath first.
Johnhwilburn.com 
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