CAGED BIRDS DON'T FLY

Historically, I’ve not been good at taking enough time away from work and routine. Sadly, this has been true on a weekly, monthly, and yearly basis.  And, the more “seasoned” I get as a leader, the more I have come to believe that this has been a costly mistake. The reason is simple…“Caged Birds Don’t Fly.”

I now believe that robbing myself of time away has dummied down my ability to think and ultimately lead and teach creatively, which has ended up robbing God and those I influence. In that the church is to be a reflection of the creator, I believe that it should be the most creative and innovative force on the planet. But, in most cases, it’s not. I believe one of the reasons is that we, as leaders, don’t give ourselves space or margins necessary to unleash our God-given creativity.

This NEEDS to change for ME and YOU.
Exodus 20:8-10a – “Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the LORD your God. On it you shall not do any work…”

Mark 6:31 – “Then, because so many people were coming and going that they did not even have a chance to eat, he said to them, ‘Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest.’”

As is true for everyone, it’s hard for me to pull away. Yet, when I do, it ends up NOT being hard to BE away. In fact, in the end, it becomes an extremely valuable investment with a ton of positive dividends.

In the next several blogs, I’m going to share some of my thoughts on this from my recent vacation. To give you a head start on where I’ll be going, here’s the full list of benefits that I’ll be sharing my thoughts on. [Note: They’re in no particular order.]

Time away…

  • Helps to identify and cure developing dysfunctions in my life

  • Breaks/Disrupts established routines and patterns in my life

  • Gives me space

  • Expands my world

  • Gives me greater traction in my leadership and communication

  • Restores and renews me and my passions

  • Brings great value to the church

I’m curious… Do you battle with creating the right kind of margins in your life?

Gloria RoughleyComment