Instead of going to lunch the other day, I sat in my office.
I usually get out for a while, eat some food and breath the fresh air. I love to walk for a minute and clear my head so I can get back to the grind refreshed and strong.
It didn’t happen the other day though. Instead of getting out, I say at my desk. I ate my leftovers and read a book while doing a whole lot of nothing that I normally do during my lunch break.
Why?
I was covering for someone.
Our church assigns days for ministers to be “on call” so that if someone with a need comes in we can talk with them and pray with them and direct them to how we can best meet their needs.
Another pastor was on duty that day, but an issue came up and he needed to leave campus (which, when you’re on call, is something you can’t do). He asked if I could cover for him. The time frame ended up being the only available time I would have that day to take a lunch.
So I slammed my fists on my desk and told him it wasn’t fair and that NO, I cannot cover for you! Find someone else!
Yeah I didn’t do that.
I told him it wasn’t a big deal. I did him a favor.
In your church culture, do you do favors for those around you who need someone to help, or are you so bogged down with your own calendar and so tightly scheduled that you can’t offer a helping hand when its needed? Obviously there are those who may ask too much too often, but does anyone in your church owe you favors simply because you helped them out?
I hope you’ll get into the habit of being owed favors, so that when the time comes, you can call in a favor or two yourself!
