Good People

Today is a kind of a downer for me. We all have days when it seems that things are just going too quickly, and issues continue to rear their heads despite our best efforts to keep them down.
Ministers are many times caught in the trap of working with other people's issues and problems while sometimes neglecting the ones that are closest to home. We really do care and grieve and weep and rejoice with others...sometimes to the point that we have nothing left for ourselves and our families.
I am at the church now, preparing for a prayer session with Chris, my co-worker here in Topeka. We will pray for others and their needs...from marriage issues to cancer to knowing God better. Hopefully, at least one of us will remember to pray for Chris and me as well...for our needs, issues, and relationship with God.
We have a hard time turning off the needs of the flock and spending some time with ourselves and our loved ones. But we have to understand that we are ALL ministers. It's not just my job to weep, mourn, rejoice, and care. That's something we all can and should be doing.
I need to let go and let others fill the void. There are good people in my flock that are ready, willing, and able to provide the shoulder, utter the prayers, and care for the necessities of others. I am thankful for them, and praise my Maker that they are here for me as well as others in the flock.