Busy times

I've heard someone say that pastors should never say that they're busy. I'm too busy to remember why. (ha) (really, I know someone said that it was somehow unpastoral or unfaithful - anyone remember the reasoning?)

I can tell that I'm entering a season of a LOT of activity - the kick-off in September always is a busy time, but it's going to be even more so this year. Our budget committee wants to kick start the whole process earlier this year so stewardship is completely finished before Thanksgiving. Our church is in the midst of a big series of discussion and learning as we discern starting a new ministry, and there will be pastoral implications since this would mean the C-word. (actually our congregation is mostly good with CHANGE - but this time we're talking BIG CHANGE) I'm also in leadership in our conference right now and there is lots of change going on there which is going to require many more Big Important Meetings at the regional office throughout the fall. So, sanity-keeping is going to be at a premium now through the holidays, I imagine.

And in the midst of all this, I live knowing my life could change completely at any moment. We're waiting for the big phone call, which may or may not come at any moment, saying that our family will be growing, through foster-adoption. In some ways it's so freeing to look at my calendar and think about the calls I'd make to cancel everything for a month to take parental leave. And it's also terrifying - totally unknown and unpredictable. God seems to have had me working on patience and flexibility for a while now, and I'm not sure how much more ready I can be. The number of people asking if I've heard anything has recently dramatically increased. I'm a little worried I'm going to lose it and scream at the next person who asks. Balance, Sabbath, prayer, calm.... here we go again, God.