The problem we have today is that we have taken a good gift and made it a terrible master. We have accumulated stress beyond our ability to bear them, plunging ourselves into constant anxiety.” – Kelly Kapic, You’re Only Human (p. 131).

A few years ago, I was given a sabbatical. I know. What a gift. Weeks on end with nothing to do but rest. That’s where the word ‘sabbatical’ comes from, anyway. But as I approached this time, I was a ball of stress and anxiety. I was afraid of what it would look like. I was afraid that at the end of it I wouldn’t accomplish what was intended. I was afraid that the minutes, hours, and days would crawl and it might be impossible to return to the high-energy life and ministry I loved. What I didn’t know was that I was afraid of what I would discover when I could no longer hide behind my accomplishments.

A Personal Revelation

After about a week of solitude, spending time away during my sabbatical, a friend called me and asked me about my day. On a non-sabbatical day, I would respond with a list of my achievements. I would start out saying how busy and full my day was and provide some highlights of what I produced. But during my sabbatical, I wasn’t supposed to achieve anything except rest. So, when this friend called, I began to describe what I had done that day….
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