Wednesday, September 24, 2008

What Did You Do Today?

That simple question will be asked countless times today around the globe. Sometimes it will be parents asking their children—sometimes it will be a spouse asking a spouse. It is a simple question, but all too many times we don’t like to have to answer it! It is like taking a test that we didn’t prepare for. I don’t know, what did I do? Our days get so busy that sometimes I really think that we can’t answer that question. We move from one task to another without ever really registering that we have done so. I know that it is true with me. I used to not be able to tell you what I did the previous day (but I knew whatever it was, it was important!) Since I started pasturing in Stillwater, I have taken the time at the end of the day (or the beginning of the next day) to write down what I did. This has been an important practice for me. It keeps me aware of what I accomplished as well as what I didn’t do. There are weeks where I hardly had time to get out and visit people (not a good thing, but it happens none the less.) There are other weeks that it seems that I did nothing other than visit!

It is important for us to see what we are (and aren’t doing) because it is a reflection of our priorities. For me, that means juggling sermon and Bible study preparation around visiting members, visitors, and the sick. It means making sure that I am also taking adequate time to refresh myself physically, mentally, spiritually, and emotionally.

I was never one to keep a journal and “write my thoughts” each day; that is why I began keeping track of my day to day activities. It was simply a way of making sure I was using my time wisely. While this was very helpful in tracking the stewardship of my time, it didn’t really help me remember what I was thinking or dealing with each day as a pastor. That is why I started this blog. For me, it is a chronicle of what I am thinking, doing, and seeking to become.

Well, that is it for me, except to ask, “What did you do today?”

1 comment:

Rosella said...

I am so glad to know you are keeping track of your work. It is a wise man who knows what he does because it is easy to get in a rut and kkep doing the same things while neglecting others. Keeps us honest.