ReLax

Last week, I got all my traveling done. I flew into New Jersey to see my family and a couple of friends, flew into Seattle for friends' wedding, stopped by Chicago to catch up with some folks there, then got back into Ann Arbor. It was just awesome catching up with family and friends. A lot has changed and between some friends, we had to get to know each other all over again. I'm starting to understand the significance of what Abe Lincoln said: "Never fall behind on your correspondence".

Although traveling to four cities and three different time zones across the US in 9 days was exhilarating and tiring, it was actually refreshing. The key thing that set the pace of my trip was the message I heard on Sunday, the morning after I landed in New Jersey.

The message preached was on the importance of rest - not just doing other things in place of our usual busy-ness, but real rest.

It's been over one month since I returned to the States and I was eager to get back into the swing of things. I should've taken the advice I received and eased into transitioning. I jumped right into serving. It was good on one hand, reconnecting with lots of people, but it was just too much and I definitely overestimated myself.

It was as if I had been used to running at 100 feet above sea level where the air is nice and dense and thick. Then, I was suddenly transported to 1,000 feet above sea level and was trying to run at the same pace in the thinner air - it's much more difficult to do.

The past couple of weeks, though full, have been much better. I've had the opportunity to just rest and relax. A good friend told me recently a good piece of advice: "Try to set a pace of life and ministry in which you can see yourself going for the next 10 years."

That doesn't mean complacency and a stagnant life, but one that is focused and full.
Learning to make the most out of every opportunity, especially the brief moments of rest.