My Sabbatical Ends Today

I have been gainfully over-employed for 25 years. Since 1983, I have always had more than one job. For a stretch, I actually had two full-time jobs: teaching 4 courses a semester at the University of Texas at Arlington along with my corporate job. I taught at nt night and during my lunch hour. This was a great blessing because it allowed us to supplement my income and for Laura to stay home with the kids.

After completing the Ph.D. program, I taught full-time and had a very active consulting practice. Then, as dean I continued to consult 50 days a year and teach at least one course a term.

So, last summer when I made the decision to leave the dean role and return to the faculty, I immediately began trying to create opportunities that would fill the slack time that was being created. Afterall, being overloaded was my norm!

Everything I tried to create failed to pan out. It is clear now that I needed the time off more than I realized; but, God knew I needed it and He guarded the time and protected me from myself.

I fought this down time for a while, but then began to realize that this was a necessary time.

It was clear that God was saying “Be still. Cease striving.”

Last summer, when I was in the process of making the decision to step down from the dean role, I consulted with my friend Dean. (Note: All deans need people like Dean!) He is a wise elder at our church. He said, "It sounds to me like God is freeing you up because He has something else He wants you to do."

Certainly during this sabbatical season I have had substantial margin in my schedule: time for creating new relationships and cultivating existing relationships. And that has been a great source of the refreshing and renewal I have experienced.

The challenge going forward- a challenge that has been a constant companion throughout most of my life - will be to maintain the balance in my schedule and continue to create margin that allows me to be available -physically and emotionally - for "the something else" God wants me to do.

Today is the official end of my sabbatical. Tomorrow morning I will return to the class room – renewed, refreshed, and fully convinced of the need to create and maintain the margin.