Pressures from all sides

One of the interesting things about bivocational ministry is that there is always something going on in your life. Things are going pretty well right now in my ministry world, but there are a ton of pressures happening in my business. One of my primary service vehicles broke down yesterday and today we learn that it needs a new engine. Do we spend the money to replace the engine in an old van or do we replace the van? Do we want to invest in a new one or try to find a good used van? There are other issues that complicate this one that I will not go into right now, but like Gilda Radner used to say, "It's always something!"

This is why I stress the importance of maintaining balance in our lives. It is too easy to allow ourselves to become overwhelmed with all the demands and stresses our lives face. If we don't have some built in time to unwind we'll soon find that we can encounter problems we don't want.

I begin each morning with a time of devotions. This year I am reading through the Bible in The Message. I follow that with some prayer and perhaps other readings. I try to pray the Lord's Prayer at different times during the day and focus on some aspect of that prayer for a few minutes.

Many of my neighbors hire a lawn mowing service, but I still mow my own lawn. It's not because I especially like cutting grass, but it is about an hour when I can be alone with my thoughts. I can pray or sing or just think. Regardless of what I do it helps me relax and helps me experience some balance.

You experience pressures from many different sources as well, and I hope you have a mechanism that helps you maintain balance in your life.