1 Week Offline (And the Return Back…)

We had a family vacation at the end of July.  It was great.  I decided to turn my email off and really, really be on vacation (which by the way, is a great recommendation for all).  I replied to all emails Sunday night around midnight before vacation officially started.  I went on vacation on Monday.  On Friday night, I decided to turn my email back on, and it kept rising.  Below is the number of emails that I received that week:

743.  Within 5 days, I collected 743 emails.  When I started going through those emails, I was overwhelmed and excited all at the same time.  And here what was in those emails:

In those emails were stories and pleas for help.  A marriage that was falling apart.  A minister who wanted to quit.  Believers who wanted to make their lives count and didn’t know where to get connected.  Correspondence concerning some exciting ministry opportunities.  Questions about what the Bible says about finances, baptism, and the Anti-Christ.  Lonely people.  Healing people.  Doubting people.  Sinful people.  Growing people.  And more emails than I can count concerning issues that I was never trained to handle in seminary.

While I was overwhelmed, I was also grateful.  I still had something to do.  God still has called me.  I have a purpose.  There are needs.  And I am honored that God has called me to help walk alongside people who want to grow in Jesus.  It was a reminder to be in the day-to-day busyness that God is on the move, and I am honored to be a part of it.