I've grown close to a group of men and women who are in Christ's work of ministry. It's be an interesting and sometimes painful look into what its like to feel the call of ministry and yet struggle with so many of today's issues. I am especially sensitive to these great leaders as I face my return to school next spring and work the next few years on my undergrad in psychology and then on to graduate school in Marriage and Family Therapy. This has been a dream of mine for all my life. God appears to be blessing this dream.
With my goal realized, I hope one day to council men and women who are in the ministry. During a recent conversation with an associate minister, I posed the question, "Who councils the councilor? Who ministers to those in the ministry"? His answer surprised me. He said, "Jo Ann, I've been a caretaker all my life. Part of this is due to my family of origin and living with severely dysfunctional parents, part of this is due to my God given gift of ministry and counseling. However, when you ask 'who councils the councilor?' I have to say I do. Yes, I have to find my own way of self therapy. My family is very used to me caretaking, of being the strong one, that they rarely tell me to take time for myself. So I have to work hard at finding my own way to relax, to remember to take care of myself".
His answer truly surprised me. Have we as a church come to a place where we don't see our ministers as regular folks with extraordinary challenges? I think we often set lofty goals and unrealistic expectations of our church ministers. We as church members often set them on a pedestal and see them as someone who "does" God easier than we do. We assume that they are immuned to the challenges we also face.
I'm hopeful the work that I do in future includes assisting elders and church ministers to not just be good caretakers, but to nurture and grow their own intimate relationship with God.
God is good....God honors those who minister to us.
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