At the End of a Very Busy Day They say there are some careers that never know a vacation, that never know normal hours, and that cannot be compartmentalized with clear job descriptions or time cards. Certainly motherhood falls under that category (for responsible mothers, anyway). But so do the roles of pastors and farmers. For these two accommodating critters, the work never really ceases, because one never knows when hell be called out to handle a crisis that must have his immediate attention. Whether its a sick, near-death parishioner, a slight acquaintance threatening suicide, or the police department calling at 2:00 A.M. to inform you that your cattle are in the road, the pressure can hit you at any time, and you have to be ready. Some people think preachers only work for a couple hours on Sunday mornings (and then play golf the rest of the week), and most city-dwellers think farmers do nothing but joyride on tractors a few times a year and get all the money for the high-priced commodities they sell in the grocery stores. Both ideas are totally false. In most cases, theres not much money in either occupation, and the demand for a pastors or farmers attention comes at all hours of the day or night. Not only that, but few people know the nocturnal wrestling matches that occur in the minds of farmers and pastors while the rest of the world sleeps, and these often are the result of mental scenarios that cannot be discarded at the drop of a hat. Mental images of disaster and crushing failure really do plague the minds of both pastors and farmers. Hurting people really do call for crisis counseling at midnight, and cows really do get into the highway when you least expect it. Churches really do split over small and silly disagreements, and droughts really do ruin a seasons projected bounty. Anyway, all I want to say is that unless you are definitely called to be a pastor or a farmer, you had better avoid it at all cost. Sometimes I wonder why Im a guy who answered the call to both. Not the sharpest tack in the box, am I? ;)
Posted on: Sun, 01 Jun 2014 03:42:18 +0000
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