8.31.2011

To care or not care?

How does a Pastor have a day off? In my mind I wrestle with the idea if a Pastor has a day off then does that mean he stops caring, sharing God's word, loving, or being a shepherd to his people? So does that mean I completely remove myself from the loneliness, pain, suffering of the people and tend to my personal desires? Oh to be fishing now, rather than sitting in my apartment. What's to say I couldn't have planned it, completely detach and tend to my selfish desires, my own happiness. I can't understand it, therefore I write in frustration of how does a Pastor get a day off? I get it, we should, there's a lot of stuff we deal with that people may not grasp, but in my mind/heart I feel like I'm neglecting.
There's always work to be done in any position/occupation. We can always work and be productive. So I guess on the day off, I should be productive in things for the apartment, personal production? Would it then be mean if someone calls and not pick up the phone because it's my day off, "your trouble, not my problem today. Call me tomorrow, then you can have my ear and heart." Of course it's not like that, but where does one draw the line? Also how does a Pastor completely shut off the things on his mind that need to be done the next day or like the following study? I wonder what the Early Church Apostles did?
I think the day off then has to be a complete removal from society, go to a place where no one can find you, get involved in something that has no connection to God-really?
Separate my Pastor role from my personal life, hobbies, fun things to do side is nearly impossible, if not impossible. My role as a Pastor involves people. I thrive on the energy with people. I love to fish, but with people. I love to take pictures but enjoy it more while taking pictures of people (getting a shot of them that makes one say wow or see a side of them rarely captured.) Oddly, yes I enjoy being with people.
Maybe at the end of all this, it's to be refreshed and re-energized, ready to attend to the daily rote of being a Pastor. Figuring this out will take some time, maybe this question of what days to care or not is on the forefront of my mind because of the opening section in 2 Corinthians. Where does one draw the line to care for someone, to comfort them? Is there a boundary? For now I can't see a parameter, then again it's my day off, I shouldn't care about this. Sin talking there. Here's an attempt to attend to personal things: time for a car wash. Blah.

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