Back in June, I decided to take a hiatus from my leadership position in the music ministry at my church. Having experienced a lot of loss in the preceding year—unemployment, death in the family, a broken engagement—I felt I needed some time to recover and allow the Lord to restore my soul.
I wish I could say I've done a lot of deep, spiritual things during this time, but I haven't. I've mostly reflected and asked a lot of questions. During this time, God's shown himself to be a friend and companion.
I plan to rejoin the music ministry in January. Even though I've received some criticism for taking a break, I believe it was the right thing to do. In fact, I believe it was God-ordained.
-Anonymous
After my husband left me and our children, I took a break from the church we'd attended to go to a new church. I wanted a fresh start somewhere else, away from the people who knew us as a couple and asked so many questions.
I attended the new church for quite a while, but I'm now back at my former church with fresh eyes and an open heart. Through that change, I learned a lot about myself and others—mostly that it's not about me.
-Laura
I occasionally take a vacation from praying so much. Usually I take the parable of the persistent widow to heart and try to wear God down until he saves my hard-hearted loved ones. But I get tired of asking this, even though I try to be creative and not use the same language all the time.
In these times, I take breaks and trust God to care for my loved ones, pursue them, and convince them of their need for a Savior. After a few days or weeks, I figure I'd better hold up my end, and I start praying again. But I feel refreshed by the hiatus—and reminded that the results are up to God.
-Norma
In the past year, I left my church choir and limited my activity with the singles ministry, where I used to be very involved. I discovered I needed time to focus on my own needs. I'd gone so non-stop taking care of others and responding to their demands that I'd lost myself along the way.
Now I've gone back to school to finish my graduate studies, and I'm taking time to reflect on my life and make goals for where I'd like to be in the future. I am taking care of me, both my physical and mental health.
-Judy
I taught in our church children's ministry for 13 years. Because my single daughter now works on Sundays, I'm taking the year off to watch my granddaughter those days. I attend church with my granddaughter, and I'm introducing her to the children's program. I believe God gives us different seasons of life, and this is a new season he's given to me.
-Richard
I'm a single mom, and when my daughters were teenagers, I took four years away from ministry in order to focus on them. During that sabbatical, I learned God wants me to be his beloved more than he wants me to do his work. I also learned the importance of prioritizing—relationship with God first, then family, then Christian service. We've also been blessed with a wealth of memories and experiences from my daughters' teenage years.
Yes, it was a sacrifice being called away from working in the area of my passion, but it was necessary. I learned that others may not always understand God's dealings with us, but God is faithful and he gives us wisdom through every season of our life.
-Deborah
I took some time off from dating. I was tired of getting hurt, tired of meeting creeps, tired of lukewarm guys, and tired of guys who didn't have their life and/or faith in order. I'm at an age where I want commitment, and I don't have time to play around for years to see if there might be something between the guy and me.
The main thing I've learned is that I can't give people the power to make me feel a certain way about myself. It's important to know who I am no matter what the circumstances are, and no matter what people say or do around me. I still haven't gone on a date, but I'm choosing more wisely who I give my time to.
-Stephanie
It's necessary to take time off; doing any kind of ministry has to be balanced with the rest of life. Sometimes that balance reaches a tipping point, either from over-commitment or due to a change in your interests. I finally came to terms with that fact this fall. I withdrew as a small group leader and decided to focus more on singles group ministry. I'll be doing more for me and less for others, so I'll need to figure out how to serve them in different ways.
-Al
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