Pilgrimage Ponderings
I'm not sure what to call this one
I've often thought that when church leaders say they are going to do something and that something doesn't get done, it probably has less to do with me or the church than what is going on in their own lives.
I've been sick on and off (mostly on) with sinus trouble since the second week of January. I finally decided this week, after going back to the doctor, to "act" sick. I have been at home lying on the couch, drinking lots of water, and napping. Wonderful things have come from this decision. My 15-year-old son cooked supper the other night, all by himself. My 11-year-old came running every time I called last night--very out of character for him. All in all, my family is taking good care of me. And I think I am beginning to feel a little better, finally.
But...I am not getting any work done. I have piles to do, and the piles have grown bigger over the last several weeks because I was so run down that I was functioning at about half my regular capacity. It has been hard for me to say to folks depending on me that things will get done, just not on the timeline we had hoped.
So that has me thinking about how defensive we clergy sometimes get when our leaders don't come through like they say. We take it personally, we worry about their commitment, and so forth. But I bet that a lot of the time it has nothing to do with us. We can have good, quality relationships with folks in our congregations, but still not know the whole story of what's going on in their homes, in their jobs, or in their individual beings.
We need to get over the idea that "It's all about me." People are far more complex than we remember or pay attention to.
