But those meetings were draining my soul in ways that were subtle, but dangerous. My time with the Lord each morning seemed rushed because I needed to be out the door at a certain time. My exercise regimen was inconsistent because I wanted to make sure I was getting at least some time with God. When I tried to get up early enough to get it all in before my appointment, I dragged around all day because of lack of sleep. If I tried to go work out after the appointment, it just wasn't a good workout. Plus, I felt like I needed to be first or nearly first into the office.
I decided the week after the collapse (breakdown) that I wouldn't set up any more early appointments. I would start my day off unhurried with the Lord and adequately exercise His temple. It did (and occasionally does) hack some people off who want to meet with me early, but that's just the way it has to be. If I'm depleted and drained, I'm no good to nobody--even God!
I also decided to move my study day to Tuesday and to do it at home. Wife and kids gone, no interruptions from staff and others. I was able to get my message completely finished and to my assistant for production issues in the worship folder and the powerpoint slides. Some folks didn't like that either, but that's just the way it had to be. My stress level would compound dramatically the later in the week I was working on my message. So insulating myself for the day was a huge step in reducing my stress. It also made for better messages! My assistant knew how to get me if I was really needed. Funny thing--take yourself out of the center of everything and see how well things go without you! And that's a good thing!!!
I also started planning some 'study breaks' into my schedule. More later.
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