This past week proved to be a little rough for me. I am still trying to figure out some sense of schedule in my life. I have different “projects” staring me in the face and I seem not to be able to dive in to anything. I keep asking for the strength to get it all done.

I prayed to God for help in feeling so overwhelmed. I asked for the way to fight the desire to run away from my responsibilities. In my quiet time I was given the simple answer to my question. Stop trying to tackle everything at once and simply focus on one portion of one project a little at a time.

In ministry it is very easy to be overwhelmed. The only deadline that we face on a weekly basis is on Sunday morning. We prepare for worship services and tend to focus on Sunday as if that is the only thing that we are to focus on.

I was reminded last week that I have people out there who need a pastor during the rest of the week. I also was reminded that, to meet the needs of others, I have to fill myself with spiritual food. How can I give when there is nothing in my own storehouse? It is impossible.

The last day I went up to Denver for seminary one of the professors took me for coffee. I quickly learned that she wanted to emphasize the importance of a commitment to daily spiritual renewal. That can be done in solitude as well as within a group, but I needed to remember that my own need for spiritual reflection was crucial to my own health spiritually and psychologically.

My own spiritual time is the time that I tune in to that power that comes from having a relationship with my God. My renewal will serve to help further my ministry and breathe life into those around me and in my community. Without my own spiritual discipline I lose my connection to the Divine. I must approach this time with purpose and a sense of allowing myself to be lost in the presence of the one who sustains me. My goal is to honor this time every day of the week.