When Life Happens

It's fun to blog when you have great adventures to share like our trip to Alaska this summer. Then I looked forward to blogging every day. Upon our return I had the opportunity to share notes about the Willow Creek Leadership Conference and spend time reflecting back upon that experience. To blog at that time was simply a matter of making the time to get it done. Now though it has become a struggle. I by nature am rather reserved, I don't go around sharing my deepest darkest secrets or emotions. So when life happens and I'm in the midst of stuff I find it difficult to know what to say. It isn't like I'm a hermit and retreat into my cave not talking to anyone. Rather I share deeply with a small group of people and lean upon them in the midst of it all.
This is part of the struggle of being a pastor in North America right now. People want their pastors to be vulnerable and real (of which it comes fairly naturally to me for the most part). However as a pastor the role is never about me. I have to guard against making sermons, teaching, or even one on one time my own therapy sessions. So when life is happening around me as it is right now (my wife has been sick and off work for the last couple of weeks) what do I share and what do I not share. I try not to be fake and just say everything is fine when it really isn't, but at the same time I do try not to burden people with things that they really can't change. When bringing a meal isn't really helpful what can they do?
Some will say that at least they can pray and I would agree completely, but how do you decide who will pray and who will simply use it as a gossip excuse? I don't know I haven't got this one figured out yet. So I'll keep plugging away and sharing what I can when I can. In the mean time if you will I would ask you to pray for my wife.