Ever sit down to write a post about something that you are thankful for, and end up sitting crying in front of the computer instead?
Because that’s me, today. A year ago we were in full-time ministry with Campus Crusade, learning how to be parents, and struggling to raise support. We were also praying through whether or not to move to a new town and take on a new job role within the ministry. We were doing lots of things, and life felt crazy.
Today, I got up at 3:45 AM to make it to work on time, saw my kids literally drive through my Starbucks drive through window about 8 hours later, and then by the time I got home at 1:50 PM, was so tired I had to take a nap (which is a great way to be in a terrible mood for the rest of the day). I ate dinner, am currently working on hammering out a blog post, working on some freelance web design work I’ve got on my plate, and will probably crash by about 8:45 tonight, and get up and do it again tomorrow. By the time this post goes live at 7:47 AM, I’ll have already taken my first break at work.
My craziest day in ministry doesn’t hold a candle to today.
Ministry was hard, sure. There were days I sat in front of my computer and cried back then, too. We had to trust God and other people to pay us, we had to work hard at reaching students with the message of Christ. It was tiring and intense.
One thing that we totally took for granted through the process though was that we got to do all of the above together. These days I see my wife for about 45 good quality minutes per day that don’t involve a kid on her hip screaming, or one of us falling asleep. Like my friend Zack, I’m not complaining. To use his words from the post I just linked to, we signed up for this crazy two kids trip. And while we didn’t technically sign up to be called off staff and working in the premium coffee market, the same principle applies. Life is tough and busy these days. I’m just being honest, not bitter or complaining.
In ministry, because the “office” was at home, I really took for granted the ability to hang out with my kid, and to work alongside my wife. We had staff meetings together, had retreats and conferences together, and were just around each other a lot.
So, looking back, I’m really thankful for that part of my job in ministry. I’m thankful for a job that forced us to communicate (I can’t imagine surviving this new stage of life otherwise!) because in working together we had to have an extra layer of communication.
This new stage is temporary, which makes me that much more thankful for the “till death do us part” thing we signed on for.
If you’re married, how much time do you get to spend with your spouse on a daily/weekly basis? Comment below!