OUT TO PASTOR: Relaxing is really not... always so relaxing

For the past several weeks months, I’ve been busy with many projects to complete.

Finally, I finished my latest manuscript and sent it in; all the other projects were also finished.

That afternoon, I sat back in my office chair and sighed deeply, appreciating the moment. As I was thinking about it, I decided it would be good to take a day off.

Then, leaning back in my chair, I tried to think of what I would do – on my day off.

Then the thought came to me – to do nothing. Have a day when I don’t do anything.

After supper, I revealed my plan to The Gracious Mistress of the Parsonage.

“Tomorrow,” I said with a big smile, “I’m going to take the day off and do nothing.”

As always, she looked at me with one of her curious smiles and asked me what my “do nothing” really meant.

“That means I will spend the whole day doing nothing and just relaxing. It’s been so long since I’ve had a relaxing day.”

I saw her smiling and remembered that kind of smile before, but it just didn’t register at the time.

A thought began nagging me – maybe I shouldn’t have told her I would take the day off.

I got up the following day, got a cup of coffee, sat in my easy chair, and started thinking about what I would do today.

My wife walked into the room and said, “What are you doing? I thought today you were not going to do anything.”

Looking at her, I sighed deeply and said, “You’re right. I guess I just forgot.”

About that time, I heard the front door ring, and when The Gracious Mistress of the Parsonage answered, I found out that the great-granddaughter was coming to spend the day with us. I didn’t know that before, but after all, it’s good to have the great-granddaughter with us.

Looking at my wife, I said, “I didn’t know she was coming today. You should’ve told me.”

She looked at me and smiled; there was that smile again.

In a few minutes, The Gracious Mistress of the Parsonage came into the living room carrying our great-granddaughter and said, “You know, I forgot about the garbage today.”

Not knowing what she was talking about, I said, “What do you mean?”

“Well,” she stuttered a little, “I got the garbage all together in the garage to take to the dump today, and I just forgot that the great-granddaughter was coming. I was wondering if maybe you could take the garbage to the dump?”

At that point, what in the world is a husband to say? So I agreed, went to the garage, put all the garbage in my truck, and headed for the dump.

So, I said to myself, driving back, this is what doing nothing is all about.

I got home, and my wife was on the rocking chair feeding the baby from the bottle.

The telephone rang, and my wife asked me if I would answer it.

A recorded message said that our latest prescriptions were ready to pick up at the local pharmacy. Looking at my wife, I told her the message and then hung up.

“Would you mind going to the pharmacy and picking up our prescriptions?”

Since I was doing “nothing” for the day, I nodded in the affirmative, went out to my vehicle, and headed for the pharmacy to pick them up.

I returned with the prescriptions, put them on the counter, and headed to my easy chair to maybe read a book.

The Gracious Mistress of the Parsonage entered the living room and said, “What would you like for lunch?”

I told her anything that she would like would be okay with me.

“How about going to Wendy’s and getting our lunch?”

I looked at her, slowly shook my head, and after writing down what she wanted, got in my truck and headed to Wendy’s to pick up our lunch.

After finishing our lunch from Wendy’s, I sat back in my chair and snoozed.

Before long, she returned to the living room and said, “You know, I forgot I was going to go to the grocery store and pick up some groceries. Would you mind doing that while I babysit our great-granddaughter?”

Then she handed me a list of what she wanted at the grocery store.

At the end of the day of doing nothing – I ended up doing everything. I need to think this through the next time.

I thought of what the Bible says in Ephesians 6:7, “With good will doing service, as to the Lord, and not to men.”

Doing nothing doesn’t really please the Lord, but He is pleased when I dedicate my service unto Him.

Dr. James L. Snyder lives in Ocala, FL with the Gracious Mistress of the Parsonage. Telephone is (352) 216-3025, e-mail is jamessnyder51@gmail.com, and website is www.jamessnyderministries.com.