ARGGGHHHH! 

Yep, it's been of those weeks. Hardly a day off. Too much on your plate. Too many interruptions. Conflicts and complaints. Meetings, visits, and unexpected crises. Nobody's happy!

And this week's sermon isn't coming together.

Most every week of ministry has its challenges. But some weeks lead you to the point of wishing you could throw the towel in. If you've ever fantasized about being hospitalized for a week, just to get away from your computer, you know what I'm talking about.

Here's the problem in a nutshell: Your Call to ministry is not a call to misery. A person can only take so much. If you let the pressure become strong, and too constant, you will not become a diamond.

You will become an ex-church leader.

This is all stuff we all know. The need to unwind, to care for ourselves, to restore the reserves. But when it's been one of those weeks, and we've already crossed some dangerous levels of stress, it can be hard to know how to begin.

How NOT to begin (just a reminder) ·

• Don't go venting online. Remember the ancient karmic rule of Facebook and Twitter: Everything you post will be retweeted three times. 
• Don't binge. Junk food, alcohol, and cigarettes can offer a moment's pleasure, but empty calories, liquid depressants, and carcinogens will all make you pay later. ·
• Don't make big decisions. You may want to quit, or send a nasty email, or do something self-destructive. Wait! The way the brain works is amazing. Adrenaline can lead you to making very different choices than Endorphins. Give yourself a little time to clear your internal mechanism.

Eating right, exercising, praying, journaling. These are all the right things to be doing, instead. In our normal lives (whatever that means) these are the kinds of things that keep us happy and healthy.

But when it's been one of those weeks, when we're maxed out, we may not have the energy or will to be so proactive.

So, as Emergency Care, here are a few nice-and-easy suggestions for pulling yourself back from the abyss, and on the right road towards some balance in your life. ·

• Spend time with animals or children. The innocence is restorative. God seems real reflected in the eyes of a child. And there's no better listener than a pet dog. 
• Watch ridiculously funny movies. Laughter has amazing healing properties. No need to get deep or philosophical. Just find something funny and let 'er rip. 
• Pray two words: "I'm Alive" every time you encounter something that makes you glad. A spider's web. Rain. Tacos. (Okay, a little fast food wouldn't hurt, would it?) In a very simple way you are redrawing the lines between this world and The Kingdom and yourself.
• Breathe. Deep breaths. In and Out. It's one of the most powerful tools for reducing anxiety. 

It may seem like a simple list, but elementary activities like these can have the profound effect of calming you down and opening your soul.

Of course, all of this assumes that you were able to get out of the office, and find a couple hours to decompress.

If not, I have two words for you: SICK DAY.

If you're at all like me, you hardly ever take a sick day. But remember, stress and anxiety are sicknesses as much as the flu is. They are also highly contagious!

Don't let your poor health trickle down into the church. Taking some mental health time can make the difference between next week being another one of those weeks, or a productive and spiritually rewarding adventure.