The last two weeks are difficult.

What are we going to do next? What are we going to do with all the things we just did? What went well? What do we need to improve on? Where is God leading me next?

The last two weeks of the year make me feel (from a business/pastor point of view) a lot of pressure.  It feels like from now until Jan 1, I have to figure everything out, solve all the problems and start the next year perfectly on Jan 1.  All the leadership teams need to be neat and pretty.  New leaders in place. Old leaders retired (and honored properly).  The budget has to be scrutinized and 2012 needs to be financially planned out.  Did we celebrate enough?  Are we ready for the next big thing?  Are we praying enough? What sermons are the congregations needing to hear from the Bible?

Of course, I work on all these things in Nov and Dec, but it seems like it never gets worked out by now.  And then, there is pressure to wrap it all up like a present and have it ready when the clock strikes midnight on Dec. 31.  After all, it’s Sunday the next day.

To top it all off…I’m supposed to be ‘off’ these two weeks.  I’m supposed to be with my family and friends, reading books, playing games, sleeping in.  All the while, the church is looming.  Not looming in a bad, scary way; but looming in a very exciting way.  Almost like a mistress.  “Look how good I am going to be next year”.  “You need to come work with the next few weeks”.  “You need to fix those few things dangling out there, send those emails, make those charts, spend 3 days fasting and praying for the spiritual direction…”

It seems like the worst time for me to break from the work is when everything is going well.  I am addicted to the process because it is clicking along fine and rewarding at every turn.  However, when things are tough, I can’t seem to break away either.  Because ‘one more email’ might fix it all, ‘one more meeting’, ‘a little more hard work’ and everything will turn around.

At the END of creation, God looked back and said, “It is good”…and then He was out.

Rest.

Rest is one of the most important and productive things we can do to prepare for 2012.

Go. Do. Nothing.

It will all be there on Jan 1, and it won’t all have failed if you left it for a bit.  You will gain a whole lot of memories with your family, and you will restore a lot of needed physical and spiritual energy.

+robin