“also that everyone should eat and drink and take pleasure in his toil — this is God’s gift to man.” Ecc. 3:13

Today, I took an extended lunch to not only get a haircut but get a pedicure done.  I can remember a time when I would never dream of doing such an activity during the work week and certainly not during a lunch break.  But a few things have changed my perspective.

A few weeks ago I went on a retreat that was built around ministers and their spouses in which we explored not only the roles we all are involved in but the sometimes devastating and harmful impact it has on us – physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually.  It was a very impactful retreat that brought into focus some things that I knew in my head but did not necessarily carry out in my life and in my heart.  I came away from that retreat with a renewed commitment to not only self-care but to be more self-aware of when enough is enough and tend to matters of heart and family.

Another thing that has changed my perspective is observing colleagues and acquaintances suffering from physical illnesses, weariness, mental fatigue and in some cases just plain old “going off the rails” in their behavior or actions.  As servants to God’s people we are always on call, always involved in someone else’s life and their problems and that does not include the day-to-day activities of keeping a church or ministry afloat.  A year ago, when I became quite ill with acute bronchitis, my doctor put me out of work, out of the church and told me to rest.  I started to object when he said something that really stuck, “that’s the problem I have with you preachers, you don’t get enough rest”.  I didn’t object to his demands but instead humbly took my excuse to my job and to my Elder and sat out for almost a week while I took meds and recuperated.  Those words have been resonating in my mind ever since.

So today, while thinking about someone I am deeply concerned about, in what from the outside looking in, may be a mental or spiritual break or just going off the rails, while dealing with my own brand of crazy on my job, while realizing that ministry is not for the faint of heart, I recognized a moment when I needed to step off the life wheel for a moment, sit in a vibrating chair and let someone else give me a pedicure and take a moment to enjoy the rewards of hard work.

What I once would have considered to be a silly and extravagant expense, I now view as a necessary cure for maintaining my mental, emotional and spiritual health.  Today it is a pedicure and a few moments on a sanctuary called my back porch to enjoy the evening breeze, the next time it might be a trip through the art supply store or swinging on a hammock or any other activity that I once viewed as frivolous and extravagant.  The bottom line is we all need to take a few moments more frequently than we probably take, to step away from the pressures of life, ministry, calling etc. and drink in the good things God allows us to experience.  It is His gift to us and the last time I checked, not accepting a gift is just downright rude.

I am convinced now more than ever, that God has given us a cure for stress, fatigue, burnout, illness and going off the rails.  It is the simple remedy of enjoying our lives, the simple pleasures and maybe even a pedicure at lunch time – not when we’ve reached our ropes end, but on a regular basis, a little bit at a time.  A few small doses along and along will be far more effective than waiting until we are beyond repair.  What is your cure?