I ate – I will eat again
Ever notice how much communication and relationship is passed over meals. I began my day with a potential church planter at a Waffle House and will end my day at a restaurant with my Journey Group from WRC. At lunch I snuck away into the prayer garden and enjoyed some alone time and read a book while I ate my Subway (5 points on the Weight Watchers point system) sandwich.
When I find myself in meetings all day I usually will take one meal and try to avoid people I know. It is one way that I find helps to restore me. I am around people, which I love, but I don’t have to communicate with anyone which relaxes me. I am reading “Leading on Empty” by Wayne Cordeiro. Sometime ago I did an exercise that is similar to one in his book, what are the five things that fill your cup and what are the five things that drain your cup:
Five things that pump me up:
- Veg time, crossword puzzles, time when nobody expects anything of me and I return that expectation.
- Exchanging ideas, (arguing) with innovative people.
- Good or bad college football, good baseball at just about any level
- When people get it
- Working on a project that others say can’t happen and getting it done
Five things that drag me down:
- When people don’t try or make excuses
- Negative people
- When
- Social injustice, especially to children (child abuse, neglect, hunger, etc) may get me pumped up too but in a negative way, been known intervene in people’s lives in a not so positive way if I see them hurting children
- When plans fail or I’m not given a chance to try, sends me into a funk.
So what builds you up or drags you down? What people build you up or drag you down. Here’s a hint, spend more time with the people and situations that build you up. Ministry sure is more fun that way. Tonight I will dine with some people that build me up. Looking forward to it.
