Four Ways I've Found Encouragement
July 1, 1996
Near the ten-year anniversary of my ordination, I was floundering. I felt
isolated, weary, on the edge of that overused but apropos
termburn-out. There were signs: heart palpitations, fatigue, a cranky
and critical spirit.
During the day, my energy level sagged, and the simplest tasks, such as returning
phone calls and cranking out another adult education brochure, became chores.
I awoke at three o'clock in the morning with a mile-long list of gnawing
worries. I read the want ads and studied college brochures, trying to discover
if there were anything else I could do to make a living.
With the help of a therapist, I came to see I was so busy taking care of
everybody else, I wasn't taking good care of myself. I began to make changes:
to take more time off and develop interests outside the church. Then a new
call came. I, a native Californian, packed up my life and journeyed some
thousand miles away from my family and growing sense of community. I began
the challenging process of starting over in a new church setting. This time,
I had a chance to do things differently. But would I?
Not quite a year later, I feel as if I'm doing great. It may be that I'm
still in the honeymoon period, but I've intentionally put in place some
components of support and accountability. A friend
First, I have cultivated a friendship with a person I knew, who moved here
before me. She and her family live forty-five minutes away, a bit of a commute,
but it's fun to get out of town on my day off (and the telephone bills are
manageable).
The best thing is that she is not a member of my church, but she is a committed
Christian who understands church. Our conversation is no-holds-barred and
runs the gamut from side-splitting ...
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