After returning from a sick day, I did not have to catch-up and install the 30 steps from the day I was away. The Utility Man installed those 30 steps so on my return I had no catch-up work todo.While in college I spent my summers working at the Wayne school bus factory. My job was to put the step into the school bus. As a bus made its way down-the-line at my station, a space of about 15 feet, I put the step into the bus. In an average day I installed 30 steps.
After returning from a sick day, I did not have to catch-up and install the 30 steps from the day I was away. The Utility Man installed those 30 steps so on my return I had no catch-up work todo.
I've been out of the office now for eight days and unlike the line at Wayne, I have a pile of US mail, a full e-mail inbox, and phone messages to attend to. There is no utility person who fills in while I'm gone. Yes, our support staff does a wonderful job of keeping our ministry moving but there are tasks that I need to do and they've pilled up.
I find myself stressing out over the catch-up day. Besides the work of this day, calls to make, emails to send and meetings to prepare all the work from a week ago stairs me in the face. Even small events like a malfunctioning coffeemaker become an annoyance consuming precious time I need to catch-up and get back on course. Well, even my Lenten practice becomes part of the stuff filling up this catch-up day. The gift of a catch-up day does help me prioritize my work. Less valuable activities are pushed aside by must do items and still the stress builds.
In ordinary time I would plow right through all this stuff even as the stress built. However the season of Lent is designed to provide some reflection time. Like a stoplight my Lenten practice of prayer helps calm me down and refocus at least a little.
"Lord, on the day I called for help, you answered me." (Ps 138: 3a)
(On March 8, 2006 because of an operator error I sent an empty e-mail to the subscribers of the Lenten eMeditations. I apologize for the confusion. From today you should have received 9 issues of the Lenten eMeditations.)