Today was my first day in the office having 2 jobs. I'm finding it hard to keep everything all straight in my mind, but ultimately it went ok. At some point I mentioned to the associate pastor who was in that I probably need time set aside to do each job, but I couldn't really think about setting that up when I was in the thick of things.

I had a lot of left over things to do from the mission trip, a staff meeting for Saranam, some office rearranging which is harder than it sounds, a meeting with someone at the Saranam storage unit, then back to try to figure out a little bit of long range planning because I was thinking about it. At some point I was standing in the office common area going through the trash from my office seeing if the former youth director threw out anything I might find worth using in youth ministry. I got more than one comment that I didn't have to dig through the trash to find lunch. Haha very funny. I did find some stellar programming stuff and threw the rest away.

I managed to finally make it to lunch at 3:30 only because Tracy came in and wanted food. I evaluated my hunger situation and decided that I probably could stand to have some lunch at some point rather than continue to eat leftover cantaloupe from the BBQ yesterday. We went out and talked about the prospective people taking my job, then headed back.

I didn't leave until 5:40, and I was the last one out of the office. Something tells me that might be a normal thing for me. As each person left they told me to not stay too long. Thankfully I had a Bible study appointment to get to, or I might have stayed way longer. I just have so much to get done and there is not enough time in a day for me to get it all done. I'm definitely going to have to rely on God in this one if I want to stay the least bit sane.

I was hoping to have some events during the month to just hang out with the youth outside of Sunday nights, but I don't know if that can happen until August when my mind isn't trying to get two jobs done. We'll see though I guess.

I think I am definitely in need of prayers to get through this month being the overachiever that I am. I know that youth directors are prime targets for burnout, and I would prefer that doesn't happen to me. At this point, my love for it all overcomes any chances at being burnt out. Thankfully I already am involved with an amazing support group of other youth directors in the area who I meet with on an almost weekly basis. We never leave each other without asking "How is it with your soul?" And we don't take ok for an answer.

So despite how the day slipped past me while I was up to my eyes in work, my soul is in a good place. I'm feeling energized by the prospects of new ministry, I'm excited that I am in a job that I already love, and I can't wait to really dig in, dig deep and let God do a lot of amazing work. I am blessed to be in a church that is incredibly supportive, isn't afraid to hire a young youth director, and is ready and willing to make some change.

One of my favorite quotes comes from the end of a Mary Oliver poem, and this quote has been coming to mind a lot for me in the last few days. For me, this is it. This is what I choose to do in this precious life right now...

The Summer Day
by Mary Oliver

Who made the world?
Who made the swan, and the black bear?
Who made the grasshopper?
This grasshopper, I mean-
the one who has flung herself out of the grass,
the one who is eating sugar out of my hand,
who is moving her jaws back and forth instead of up and down-
who is gazing around with her enormous and complicated eyes.
Now she lifts her pale forearms and thoroughly washes her face.
Now she snaps her wings open, and floats away.
I don't know exactly what a prayer is.
I do know how to pay attention, how to fall down
into the grass, how to kneel down in the grass,
how to be idle and blessed, how to stroll through the fields,
which is what I have been doing all day.
Tell me, what else should I have done?
Doesn't everything die at last, and too soon?
Tell me, what is it you plan to do
with your one wild and precious life?

This entry was posted on Monday, July 02, 2007 at 11:07 PM. You can skip to the end and leave a response.