Monday Meditations: One Head, Many Hats

I always have been a multi-multitasker. At my best, I can do four things at once, at worse, two. I have for years fought that part of my personality, determining to fit into this unrealistic idea of normal that I had. I would look at people who were specialist in what they did and long to be like them. To know the one thing I would do with my life. I didn’t want to be a general practitioner.

The older I got, the more I realized I’m not that kind of normal. When I tried to do one thing at a time, I got bored quickly and moved onto something else. After much trial and error, it dawned on me that multitasking is my normal. It took me a little more time to accept this.

The revelation came primarily from my life. Yes, multitasking was my habit, but my life explained to me why I did. I wear many hats. I’m a wife, mom, and pastor. I have a budding writing career. I work full time and go to school part time. I knit and I love to read. All of these things are me.

In order to keep these caps on my head, I have to multitask. Many days I feel like the peddler from the book, Caps for Sale. All of them precariously piled high on my head. And as in the book, it only takes one monkey to send it all tumbling.

But the one head/many caps life works for me. That’s they way God made me. And when I stopped fighting that truth, my multitasking became easier. I realized that it was okay to got to bed exhausted after I gave my life all I had. I had to let go of being specialist and life the general practitioner life God called me to.

And I learned something in all that. A multitasking life is a full life. Full of love, laughter, good times and joy. I wouldn’t change that for the world.

Monday Meditations: Sacred Devotion

I often have moments of spontaneous prayer. There are times when a prayer bubbles up and reveals something in my heart. This happened to me while I was doing something in my new reality: preparing to preach at the church my husband and I pastor.

When we started the church in January, Pastor Hubby and I decided that if we both were on the preaching rotation, it would decrease the chances of burnout. Besides, church planting is definitely on the top my list of the most heart stirring, mentally taxing and labor-intensive things I’ve done in my life. The more help the better.

After a few months, I fell into a routine of sorts. Not that preparing sermons is routine, but I found myself following a process. I would clean whatever room I was going to prepare my sermon in. I’d complete all my other tasks that might distract my thoughts. And I would pray.

During a particular preparation session, I found myself thinking about people who have preached for years and have an extremely business-like approach. They didn’t treat preparing to preach as the special work it is. Their approach to ministering to God’s people was a task, not sacred vocation.

And that’s when the prayer floated up to my thought: Lord, I never want to feel like ministry is a job or obligation. There is a sense of joy that comes from knowing God wants to encourage and strengthen people through my sermons. Since I preach God’s holy word, there should be a sense of holiness about my preparations. Pastors should approach ministry different than a job. It’s not just this thing that we do. It’s a sacred vocation.