four reasons...

Recently I left my job. Stepped away for a while, just to breathe, to refocus, to rest. Only a couple weeks in to this new life stage but this is a very surreal feeling. I stepped down from a good paying job that I genuinely enjoyed and felt very fulfilled in.

Most days I think I'm insane... I walked out on stability, and I think you should consider it too. Here's four reasons.

Number Four :
The season of rest. I have been working in my field for a few years now (about 12) and really enjoyed the challenges, the struggles, the newness of each day and it's own set of realities to be dealt with. I go to bed tired and wake up facing some of the same giants. I love it. Yet in the back of my mind I find myself being drawn further and further in. More hours here, more issues to work on there. I found myself spending more nights and longer days consumed with what it means to do what I do. To the point about two months ago where it was literally overwhelming. At some point I took a good hard look and said "I'm tired."
There is a biblical principle called the Sabbath, "a day of religious observance and abstinence from work, kept by Jews from Friday evening to Saturday evening, and by most Christians on Sunday." Our culture is so very anti-resting. We work hard, party hard, intake copious amounts of caffeine to make it through the day (and night), just to do it all again. We struggle with rest. We fight against it. Most of us "squeeze in" a week of vacation once a year but if you're like me it takes about five days to slow down enough to enjoy yourself, just about the time we head back in to the chaos. Learning to rest is hard, but in resting comes dependance. In not doing, comes the ability to accept gifts (like the little things of life that we often push out of the way in order to "work"). 

Number Three : 
To start something new. I'm starting a new business in this process with my brother. It's a grand adventure into the unknown but also a chance I probably would have never taken any other way. I'm loving the time to spend with him and our other partner as we work together to get this thing "off the ground" (pun intended if you know what our new venture is, if not no worries). I find myself always looking to "do something" or "start something" but far too often there are all these other things standing in my way, like my job. Starting something new has given me an excellent change of pace and a venture into something completely different and enjoyable. 

Number Two : 
FAMILY TIME. I'm a young dad (I still feel young at least). I have three kids under five and it's crazy in our house. I work long hours and often feel like I'm leaving them at the loss. They need there papa and far too often I feel called away from what I value more than most anything else in this life. I married the love of my life, and spending parts of my days and most of my evenings with her has been food for our souls, even though the adjustment has been hard. I work from home now and it's such a pleasure to stop what i'm "working on" to help a child with a drawing, deal with a tantrum, or just be their daddy or husband. 
The idea of managing your own house well is a major qualification for those who seek to lead the people of God and unless we can take the time in our own house to make sure that our family is well and whole and healthy, we've got no business overseeing the church. To take time for my family has been such a huge blessing. It's really hard, most days right now we're still all adjusting to this concept of papa being around but to see the industry of my home and all the hard work my wife puts into running the house well makes me appreciate her more now than ever. 

Number One : 
To re-find my first love. I am ever indebted to this time to re-learn what it means to connect with God. Not just so I can teach a lesson or preach a sermon (yes i was a pastor, if you didn't know, still am actually) but because He is worthy of my best efforts and greatest aspirations. For the last twelve years we've literally been eating, breathing, sleeping and spitting out church. It's been awesome! But in all that, any persons familiarity with the "normal" leaves us lacking the reality of the uniqueness of Divinity. I'm relearning what it means to live outside the bubble. I'm finding my soul longing to be refreshed. I'm relearning how to connect, just me, not for anyone else's benefit. It's really hard. It's very surreal. It's really healthy. 

This adventure is spectacular, I wouldn't trade it for the world. Don't run home and announce you're quitting your job, but take a good look. What needs some tweaking. This life is too short to run after a dead end anything. Money fades, things break, food grows cold, but the things that matter endure. I'm grateful for the time I've been given. Life will get hectic again but for this season I rest fully satisfied in the God who has called me knowing that by His grace all things work together for His purposed plans. 

Don't quit your day job... :)