I wrote these notes before going to Abilene for EOY meetings and the party. It was great to see everyone and gain inspiration through the presentations and workshops.
12/7/17
There are only two days left on my sabbatical, and like many others, I can’t believe how fast it went by. I have felt many emotions during my time off, but mostly gratitude. Our executives are so unique in their approach to the employees, and hope that it will always be so. Sabbatical is beyond the comprehension of many people that I told about it. I was hesitant to talk about it much, because I didn’t want to cause any resentment or jealousy in others. My prayer is that by telling others about my sabbatical the idea may reach other companies that will bless their people with something similar.
One of my goals during sabbatical was to spend time alone with each of my family members. I wanted to strengthen our bonds and show them just how special each of them are to me. I wanted to make a purposeful effort to do this. It was good to let whoever I was with do what they want, and just be with them. I really enjoyed that. Last night around the table each child and my wife shared the photos we took and talked about the good times we had.
I’ve never been an avid reader, but my time allowed me to focus more on that. I was able to read a lot of “How To Disciple Men” and found some great information that I can use in working with our church Men’s Ministry and with Blast and Cast Men’s Ministry. I originally bought it because one of the authors is our Executive Director at Blast and Cast. I also recently stumbled onto several parts of C.S. Lewis’s “Mere Christianity” which are on Youtube.com as audio with illustrations. I found the presentation concept very engaging and interesting. If anyone is interested they should search “C.S. Lews doodles”. I enjoyed both and would recommend them to anyone that has an interest.
During sabbatical, I helped our pastors with their visits to hospital patients and some of our Harvey flood victims. Over the years I have learned of the positive effects of these visits, and heard of the disappointments when they don’t happen. Your immediate family is probably first on scene in an emergency, but they need to be followed quickly by your brothers and sisters in Christ. We are called to visit those with troubles, and we are called to care for one another. I believe these two things really bond God’s people together and prevent them falling away. I feel blessed to be a part of strengthening the bonds between people so that they will continue to come to church and hear God’s word. He does the heavy lifting, but we play a role for sure. In one of our studies the speaker said “God doesn’t need your help, but your neighbor does”. That really stuck with me and I aim to be a help where I can.
I also volunteered with “The Gathering Place” which provides activities for those with memory problems such as Alzheimer’s. I have written a little about my first experience in an earlier post. Yesterday was my second time, and much more relaxed since the guests were familiar to me. It was held at a different church this time with some new volunteers joining in. (They rotate amongst several local churches in Brazoria County) When I arrived I was one of only two men there preparing for arrival of the guests. The other fella turned out to be the pastor of the church. He normally does a devotion and blesses the meal, but today he had to leave early for a dentist appointment and decided I was the guy to fill in for him. Whoa! That was not what I was planning! I was reluctant and nervous at first, but I eventually took the job. It was quite an honor, but I’m not sure my babbling about Advent and Christmas symbols was intelligible. I’m just giving thanks to God for the privilege!
Next week I will be reunited with friends and associates in Abilene, and I am really looking forward to see everyone. It is a highlight of the year for me because of the care that is taken to prepare meaningful events and classes.