You may have noticed that things have been pretty quiet around here lately. That has been both good and bad, for a number of reasons. I hope that I can maintain a regular schedule again soon.

Sometimes, it’s just time to take a step back from things and take a deep breath. In a way, that has been good for me. I have been able to focus on a few things that needed some attention, and a few things that I have wanted to do for a long time. But at the same time, stepping back wasn’t great, because the habit of writing regularly has slipped a little. This is still a priority in my life, and a slipped habit will be a bit of an obstacle to overcome.

Let me share with you a few of the things that have impacted my schedule over the last few months.

COVID-19

This pandemic has created a lot of casualties, and my schedule has been one of them. But by no means has it affected my immediate family in tragic ways as it has for so many. And while many of the things in our lives have been returning to a sense of normalcy, there are still some areas where that hasn’t yet happened.

Ministry Opportunities And Requirements

With the pandemic came the need to make some changes in how we do ministry here at our church. That has caused us to learn how to livestream our services. In addition, we have begun to create some short and powerful, and short and pithy videos, called PV Shorts. We have also started creating some online Bible studies. We started with a look at the letter of 1 Peter. Learning how to create quality video recordings, edit them, and share them has been a time consuming activity for me.

Church Mission Trip

Last year, we started panning a short term mission trip to Arizona, to work with one of the ministries we support as a church, American Indian Christian Mission, in Show Low, Arizona. That trip was pushed back by a year to this summer. We took a team of 17 in July, and it was a very powerful experience for everyone involved. In addition, I serve on the Board of Directors for this ministry, and because of that, have a few more duties and requirements that need regular attention. That required a second trip to Arizona, just a few days after the group returned home. It keeps me a little busy, and it was a lot of driving, but it’s well worth the effort.

Health Issues

While I have not had any illness due to the pandemic (that I know of) I have still had a couple of health issues that have affected my life. I was in the Emergency Room with back and leg pain during the summer, right before the trips to Arizona. This has caused some lingering consequences, leaving me with a cane as a walking aid some of the time. Hopefully, this eventually is resolved, and I can get back to normal in this area.

Damaged Relationships

We have opened our hearts and lives to many different people over the years, and most of the time, those relationships blossom and grow. Occasionally, however, that’s not the case. We experienced some severe emotional and relational pain recently over such a relationship that has been damaged, and has been the cause of some significant heartache for our entire family.

Growth Opportunities

My alma mater, Ozark Christian College, has announced that it will begin a postgraduate program in the near future, and I have applied to enter, pursuing a Master’s Degree. Technically, this doesn’t begin until next year, but the process has been started and details are falling into place. This will continue to be an item on my agenda for the next couple of years. I’m looking forward to the process, and the growth that will occur as it happens.

And there have been several other items that have impacted my life and time. Some have been unavoidable, others have been by choice; some have benefited my life and my family in a positive way, others have yet to show how they will impact us. Some, we may never see the fruit of. But all of them — every single thing — can and will be used by God for good, even if I can’t see just how.

In the meantime, I hope to regain a sense of routine, especially in this area of writing. It may not be to the level I strive for, but I hope for it to be consistent and meaningful. And yet, even as I look ahead, I know that the step back has been beneficial, since there are some things in place in my life as a result. Sometimes, we all need to take a step back, take a deep breath, and relax for a time.

That has been very helpful for me.

And now… Onward!

Question: When have you had to take a step back from things? How did it impact your life? How did you grow as a result? You can leave a comment by clicking here.