Sabbatical Beginnings
I remember the mix of joy, hope, angst, and overwhelm I felt when I walked into the mall, and my parents let me enter my favorite store—KB Toys. The flipping dogs, trains, Stretch Armstrong, Wolverine, Silver Surfer action figures, and more were all too much to handle. I knew going in that I wouldn’t be able to get everything I wanted, and sometimes, it was just an allowance for browsing. But the experience was worth creating a core memory. This same feeling came over me as I began my sabbatical. The opportunity to come into a place of worship to receive from God is a refreshing gift. I want to share with you what I’ve discovered on this journey, just in case you’ve been wondering what I’ve been up to.
In the first or second week of July, I began my first-ever sabbatical. It was an odd beginning, as I already had many speaking engagements lined up. I was blessed to speak at Salado Church of Christ, Impact Church, Northside Church of Christ (Temple), and Welch St. Church of Christ. So, initially, my sabbatical didn’t feel much different from before it began. I knew I needed rest and reprieve, but I also wanted to honor my commitments and continue practicing my craft. Then, I finally had the chance to fully immerse myself—starting at Western Hills Church of Christ.
That morning, my family and I woke up, and I felt something strange: no responsibilities. I didn’t have to be “on.” It felt odd just to be with my family, walking into the church building with nothing but them and my Bible (tablet). But once inside, I truly felt it. I was more in tune with what was happening with my family. I made sure they had communion cups, I could actually sit with them and read scripture together, and I could nudge one of my kids awake instead of watching them sleep while I preached! 🤣🤣😂😂
While there, my friend and fellow preacher, Scott Meyer, allowed God to use him, and God spoke to me that day. Scott’s sermon was titled “Interrupted: Embracing the Unexpected Like Jesus.” I heard many things from God during that sermon, but one statement stood out the most: “We are created in His image, yet we try to create God in our image. This is what Peter is trying to do.” Now, I may not have said it as eloquently as Scott did, but it gave me pause as I reflected on whether I was truly allowing God’s will to shape my own. We often get so bothered when God does not move and act as we want Him to, often not considering if it is our standard that is not being met instead of God’s. Jairus and Jesus were interrupted, yet God’s will was still accomplished without complaint from Jesus. In ministry, we are sometimes called to be visionaries. I believe it’s crucial to take time to examine our visions, whether successful or not, to see if God is still in them.
The takeaways from this message are below:
- You take up your cross when you choose the difficult right over the easy wrong.
- You take up your cross when you serve others.
This made me think of a C.S. Lewis quote:
“There are only two kinds of people in the end: those who say to God, ‘Thy will be done,’ and those to whom God says, in the end, ‘Thy will be done.’ All that are in Hell, choose it. Without that self-choice, there could be no Hell. No soul that seriously and constantly desires joy will ever miss it. Those who seek find. Those who knock, it is opened.”
―C.S. Lewis, *The Great Divorce*
I want to be the kind of person who, in the end, has chosen the will of God. Can I die to myself and allow God to be seen through the hard task of cross-bearing? We often make excuses and give ourselves permission to be “Burger King Christians,” wanting to have it our way, thinking it’s the best and only way.
My Prayer:
Creator God, Architect of all things, and sustainer of the universe and my minute life, see me as I am. I do not always let You be You. There are times when I try to fit You into my will instead of being molded and shaped by You. Lord, I ask You to be patient with me in those moments. Give me the endurance and strength to bear up crosses in places I do not always want to and do as You will. Let my words be Yours, let my actions be pleasing to You, let my heart be one with You. I am thankful for Your perfect character that guides me to true life. Protect me from my flesh and give me zeal to obey the nudging of the Spirit! In Your son Jesus’ name, AMEN.
