This past weekend I finally made it to the “barracks” of the Others from LOST.  We took a group of students to Camp Erdman for a day camp, our first off-site trip like that in over a year.  It was great to get away, to see another part of the island, and to get a glimpse of TV history (at least for me).  You can see the barracks in the pictures to the right; they’ve been painted since the series aired, but it’s still them.

As is too often the case, the days are packed.  And the evenings sometimes, too.  Yesterday was a day for three classes, a live chapel (thankfully with a guest speaker), picking up the car from the shop, and two church meetings via Zoom.  Today has been quite tame compared to that.  The thing is that I try to keep things pack in the daytime, which is both good and bad.

It really is always something.  A teacher in my department left mid-year.  We brought in two part-timers for help.  One wrapped up his time after one unit, so I went from three sections to four.  This week and next, the other part-timer is on a pre-hire vacation.  So, for the next week-and-a-half, I’ve got seven sections to teach.  I love teaching, though, so I’m glad to do it.  But it definitely packs out the day.

The pastor search continues at church.  The search for a Christian Ministries coordinator continues at school.  And we’ll be looking for a new teacher for the fall to more permanently replace the teacher that left mid-year.  This next Sunday will be my third Sunday in a row with the worship team at church (usually it’s every other week).  So yeah, there’s lots to do.

But I am more and more convinced that God isn’t really honored in busyness, no matter how important it is.  I could be wrong, of course.  And God’s love doesn’t change.  But I know that I’m in a better place when the days and nights aren’t packed.  I feel like the last few years have made working throughout the day and night both more normal and acceptable.  That’s going to have to change for me.  As I’ve already mentioned, I’m done with Christian Ministries with the end of this semester.  I am hopeful that the pastor search will come to a wrap with the summertime, but you never know.  I’ve got a two-week spring break coming up that will involve a trip to the west coast for a wedding.  I am hoping to work in a day or two of “mini-retreat” somewhere around that destination before the celebration takes place.

Sometimes life too often feels like a boat that keeps leaking or a driveway that keeps getting covered in snow and no matter how much you bail or you shovel, the water and snow keep coming.  Which is okay for a season.  But not for more than a season if you can help it.  And while I’m grateful for this time, I’m also looking forward to this particular season coming to an end.