To My Church-Going Friends,
As I sit at my desk preparing for our longest night service at Trinity and thinking about my colleagues, I wanted to share a thought with you. Right now, there is a man or woman working at a desk and they're tired. They're tired, they're stressed out, and they're probably a little (if not very) overwhelmed. You see, they've been working really, really long days and nights for almost four weeks now. If they have family, they not only have the pressures of making Christmas an awesome and meaningful experience for their family (which they're probably terribly behind on and feel like they barely see them) but they're also pouring their heart and soul into making this Season and especially Tuesday night a deeply meaningful and heartfelt encounter with the Birth of Christ for you too. He or she probably has bags under his or her eyes, looks worn down, and a little disheveled. You might not know how utterly exhausted they are. That's because Sunday morning and Tuesday evening, they're going to put on their best face for you, they're going to smile and laugh, and share in your joy. Then, they'll go home and hurriedly make last minute preparations for family before they collapse wishing the morning were just a few hours longer away and lamenting the things they could have done better. You won't know it, though. They may be embarrassed I'm telling you all this. That's because we care about you and love you deeply. We think you're worth it... Because you are.
So, if you have a pastor and you happen to see him or her in the next few days or week or two, do something nice for them... Even if you can't stand them, they're working hard for you. Just a kind word or a simple reaffirmation can go a long way and give someone a second wind for the marathon.
As I sit at my desk preparing for our longest night service at Trinity and thinking about my colleagues, I wanted to share a thought with you. Right now, there is a man or woman working at a desk and they're tired. They're tired, they're stressed out, and they're probably a little (if not very) overwhelmed. You see, they've been working really, really long days and nights for almost four weeks now. If they have family, they not only have the pressures of making Christmas an awesome and meaningful experience for their family (which they're probably terribly behind on and feel like they barely see them) but they're also pouring their heart and soul into making this Season and especially Tuesday night a deeply meaningful and heartfelt encounter with the Birth of Christ for you too. He or she probably has bags under his or her eyes, looks worn down, and a little disheveled. You might not know how utterly exhausted they are. That's because Sunday morning and Tuesday evening, they're going to put on their best face for you, they're going to smile and laugh, and share in your joy. Then, they'll go home and hurriedly make last minute preparations for family before they collapse wishing the morning were just a few hours longer away and lamenting the things they could have done better. You won't know it, though. They may be embarrassed I'm telling you all this. That's because we care about you and love you deeply. We think you're worth it... Because you are.
So, if you have a pastor and you happen to see him or her in the next few days or week or two, do something nice for them... Even if you can't stand them, they're working hard for you. Just a kind word or a simple reaffirmation can go a long way and give someone a second wind for the marathon.
