Leaders often seem to be able to take on the whole world: marriage, family, work, church, sports teams, carpool, PTA, gym class instructor, homeless shelter volunteer and doula. There are often times when these people break; they’ve had enough and just break. God gives them big shoulders but sometimes the yolk doesn’t quite seem balanced with God.
I had one of those breaks this weekend. Sitting at the dinning room table, my husband wasn’t home from work yet (6th day in a row missing dinner due to work) the kids were complaining about this or that, I just broke. I started weeping at the table and didn’t stop for a long time. My loving husband came home and promptly sent me to bed.
The next morning at Mass I was worried. Worried they’d all see I’d broken the night before. They would see I’d lost faith in my abilities and the yolk I shared with Christ. I shouldn’t have been. Turns out that in the course of all that leadership stuff I do, no I’m not a doula or gym instructor, I’ve made some awesome friends. In my pew wallowing, I counted no less than 10 separate friends who smiled, shook hands or generally didn’t notice my pitty party.
To the leaders out there who’ve had enough, you’re not alone. To the friends out there who love those leaders, THANK YOU! You are the reason we take on so much. You are, unbeknown to you, the reason we get through our self-induced breaks.
A friend loves at all times.
Proverbs 17:17
Jessica Morgan