First Things First

July 1, 2010. First day at the Wesley Foundation of Macon.

In moving to a new ministry context, I get to have a lot of firsts all over again. First worship, first meetings with students, first time at new churches, first time in a new city, first time on a new campus, etc. The first days in a new place are filled with things to do, including getting settled in to a new office space and learning where to get the best coffee.

But the very first thing that happens in our new location is getting my family settled in our new house. 

Every passing year as a campus minister ingrains in me the necessity to NOT become a burned-out minister or workaholic. While campus ministry is a big part of who I am, there still have to be boundaries. I think somewhere in Ecclesiastes it says, "A time to work, a time to rest; a time to answer the cell phone, a time to let it go to voicemail. A time to reply to emails, a time to not." In the age of iPhones, this becomes even harder to do, but I find it incredibly necessary. When I'm at home, my mind will think and pray about ministry matters, but my attention needs to be on my family first.

We moved to Macon last Friday, but today is my first day to spend significant time in the office. I'm not putting off starting my new job; I'm just making sure that our home is home before my work becomes work. And I think we have succeeded. Though the basement of our house is still in disarray, the main living parts of our house are beginning to feel like home. And this is important for two reasons:

First, it's important that the boys feel at home. There is a lot change with moving to a new house, and though they will not really remember the move itself, they do feel the effects of it. It's really just been the last couple of nights that we've all slept soundly - a good indication that our house is feeling like a home.

The second reason is because when I come home, I need to feel like I'm home. This goes for Corrie, too. Though she will be at home more than I will, it is important for the house to feel like the refuge it is meant to be. The place for play, relaxation, and rest.

The great challenge now is to maintain the home. And this does not mean keeping it clean (though that's a good thing to do), but keeping it a place of rest, not a place of work. As I get busier and busier this summer and fall semester, it will be harder and harder to leave my ministry concerns at the Wesley House. But if I'm to truly rest and be the husband and father I want to be, this must happen.

But for now, I need to get to work. Anyone want to help me put away all my books?