I went into our sabbatical with two simple goals: to get closer to God and closer to my wife. God blessed me so much in both relationships.
I did not know what to expect with a sabbatical. We hadn’t ever had an extended break from ministry. It has been over twenty-one years since we left Hillsboro and moved to West Wickham to start full-time ministry in the UK. Even before that, there were several years of juggling study, paid work and ministry. So what would a 12-week break feel like? Would I get frustrated at not being able to preach? Would I regret my commitment not to work on a book during this time? Actually, not at all. In fact, had no idea how much I would benefit from the break.
Here are several ways I found the sabbatical refreshing and enriching:
- Rest is good for the soul. I would not say that I am very good at resting. I tend to feel quite driven and I can find days off a bit frustrating at times. But this was not a few hours or a couple of days, it was 12-weeks. And I have to admit that I benefitted from the rest more than I had anticipated. Sleeping without an alarm clock. Enjoying many walks in the wintery woods of Arkansas, around the neighbourhood in Oklahoma, and in the wooded trails of Tennessee in the spring – it was such a blessing. I was able to read lots of good books, to journal, and to pray. Then there were family times too: times to play games, laugh together, make memories, have extended conversations.
- Slowing down allows you to see God at work. Instead of rushing from one thing to the next, I had time to ponder God’s kindness to us. The places we stayed, the churches we visited, the kindness shown to us by people who did not know us, as well as the encouragement and support of our home church and prayer partners . . . we got to see God at work in so many little details. Before visiting a certain church, I wrote in my journal how I’d love to meet the pastor whose podcast I enjoy every week. The next entry, hours later, began, “Wow!…” God had orchestrated an amazing interaction with him. The following month, we changed our plans to arrive in Oklahoma a day earlier than planned. The next day, as we sat in a safe room with a tornado-laden storm passing nearby, we thanked God that He knew we needed to be there that night, rather than driving through a dangerous storm. I also hank God that he protected me when I choked on my birthday meal at a remote restaurant near Chattanooga. In the end we clocked up five thousand miles driven safely, and countless reasons to praise God along the way. God is probably showing us countless kindnesses all the time, but this time of rest allowed us to see these more clearly.
- Prayer is a privilege. The personal highlight of the sabbatical for me was a shift in my experience of prayer. Before the sabbatical I was probably a bit scattered in my prayer life, inconsistent and certainly too business-like. While walking in the Arkansas woods near the cabin where we were staying, that changed. Praying through Scripture to enjoy the gospel personally, and being blown away by Revelation 1 that day, and worshipping God in response . . . I genuinely started to look forward to the next day when I could go on a walk with Jesus again. To come into His presence prayerfully, with gratitude, with the truths of Scripture, with intercession, and with praise, that really is a privilege I fell in love with afresh.
- My ministry does not define my identity. I know this is true. I could have preached or written a compelling case for this truth before we went away. However, knowing something and experiencing something is not always the same. For 12 weeks I was not a preacher, a pastor, an elder, a missionary, a prof, an author, or any other type of vocational minister of the Gospel. I was a husband, a dad, a driver, an agent of dishwashing. And spiritually? I was a child of God, a member of the bride of Christ, a part of the body of Christ, a branch in Christ’s vine, and a sheep in His flock. And in this identity, I was loved by God. I know I am highly dispensable in ministry. I know God doesn’t need me. And for these 12 weeks, I had a clearer sight of the truth I preach: God loves us because we are in Christ, because we are His, not because of what we do for Him.
I could write much more – the lessons learned in marriage, the blessings of visiting over a dozen churches, or the special memories made with my girls and with the whole family during our family reunion week. But hopefully this gives you a glimpse into the ways God blessed me during this sabbatical. Thank you so much for your prayers and support during these months!
