Tuesday, February 16, 2010

What Keeps You From Ministry?


I'm at home this morning... Again.

We have had a very strange winter here in TN. Far more snow and ice, without warm days to quickly melt it all away... which has created more "snow days" than I would have ever expected. [No, this picture is not indicative of our snowfall amounts... but the way TN copes with the snow you'd think it was!]

Tennessee only sees 10 inches of snow on an average year... and we have matched, if not surpassed, that amount in just the first 6 weeks of this year... creating issues for a state with limited resources designated to assisting the city when have a winter like this.

Living out in the country as I do, our roads are last on the list when it comes to snow plows or salt/brine trucks... if we're even on the list!?!

So I've chosen to stay off the roads and work from home during a few of these "snow days." But when you work in the ministry, not being at your ministry location can feel limiting - or even as if you're not working at all.

But there are simply times when not being "at work" is exactly where I need to be. Whether it's:
  • related to personal safety (like staying off the roads when the locals are out on them),
  • family priorities (because work already gets some of my best 40+ hours a week), or
  • personal sanity (because God created the Sabbath and there will ALWAYS be more ministry to be done).
While it can be a struggle for some of us to stay away from "the office," it's great to know that God is at work... even when we are not. In fact, it's probably important for us to be reminded regularly that God wants to use us - but DOES NOT need us - in order to accomplish His mission.

So what is it for you? What reason/s do you have that you allow to "keep" you from your place of ministry?