Get Dirty. Get Personal. Get Simple.
This past Friday I was at home with the boys. I always try and give Annabeth breaks on the weekend from being the zookeeper. Whenever I am home with my boys we try and have a little fun. This Friday Bolt decided that he wanted to knock out a 500 piece puzzle.
Puzzles haven’t always been my favorite thing to do because it requires focus and patience. I struggle in both of these areas. My dad loves puzzles. It is his favorite thing to do on vacation. Isn’t it amazing how we morph into our dads and moms. That will be another blog.
About midway through the puzzle, we decided to get outside for a little breather. I love this video of the twins playing hoops and Bolt marking his territory. I love having boys!
After about 6 hours, we finished the puzzle! Here is the final product.
I really enjoyed doing this with my son. It was simple. It was practical. It took my mind off everything. Lastly, it made me feel like I accomplished something.
That last statement is really important. In ministry, we do a lot. As pastors, we do a lot. Most of what we do is hard to measure. It is a lot of thinking, praying, teaching, meetings, etc. The fruit can definitely be seen at times, but for the most part we work in a world that is spiritual and unseen. This really frustrates me at times because I feel like I am just punching the air. Some of the challenges that I face are really hard to measure. As I worked on and finished this puzzle, God reminded me of a few things:
Get Dirty. Sometimes I need to put down the books and pick up the tools. Using your hands to clean a yard, hang curtains, etc., can really be rewarding. When we first planted Vintage Church I was doing a lot more of this. As we have grown I have needed to implement leaders to work instead of just working myself. I need to continue to do this but I also need to get up early with my production team and set up some chairs.
Get Personal. Too many times I have settled with just preaching to people from a distance. I know a lot of pastors who fall into this trap, especially those of us who are introverted. Through this lesson I am encouraged to keep loving the individual. Witness to the individual, lead the individual to Jesus, disciple the individual, coach the individual. Do for one what you wish you could do for all and see how this fuels your ministry.
Get Simple. What are some projects that are in your life that you can do? I’m talking about something bigger than finishing a puzzle. What book should you read with a friend? What homeless shelter could you volunteer at on your day off? What yard in your neighborhood could you clean up? All being for Jesus. My life is filled with some crazy complicated things. Mix up a few simple tasks for you to knock out. It will encourage and feed your soul.
