The JOY in Pause & Rest

But he himself went a day’s journey into the wilderness and came and sat down under a solitary broom tree. He asked that he might die, “It is enough; now, O Lord, take away my life, for I am no better than my ancestors.” Then he lay down under the broom tree and fell asleep. Suddenly an angel touched him and said to him, “Get up and eat.” He looked, and there at his head was a cake baked on hot stones and a jar of water. He ate and drank and lay down again. The angel of the Lord came a second time, touched him, and said, “Get up and eat, or the journey will be too much for you.” He got up and ate and drank; then he went in the strength of that food forty days and forty nights to Horeb the mount of God. At that place he came to a cave and spent the night there. 

(1 Kings 19:4-8 NRSV)

She believed she could but was really tired, so she didn't... 

(Unknown)

For the sake of clarity, I do not identify with Elijah in having the desire to die. I do however identify with Elijah in that I know what it feels like to be so tired that you don’t feel like you can go on. That is not where I find myself, however, from experience, if we don’t pause and rest when we are tired, we can push ourselves to that point. This is overfunctioning at its best (worst, really). If I can be transparent, I spent my first two years trying to prove to myself and to you that I was worthy to have been called as Pastor. But God ordained it so without me having to prove a thing to anyone, including myself, and overfunctioning is poor stewardship of the gift of self that God has entrusted to us. 

With that in mind, the best way to steward myself, and the various roles in which I function, is to declare this Slow-Girl Summer! I plan to do what is absolutely necessary (preaching, counseling, visiting), complete administrative projects that are necessary to the proper functioning of ministry (policy books, church management software, and website updates), and infusing my summer with JOY!

Pastor Donna Olivia Owusu-Ansah