In America, today is Memorial Day–a day off to remember fallen soldiers. It’s seen as the unofficial start of Summer, and is celebrated with neighborhood parties and barbecues (and by the way, if you’ve never had American barbecue, I feel genuinely sorry for you).
It’s easy to take a day off when it’s a holiday, because everybody else is doing it. But for some of us, taking time off during a busy season, or even truly resting during a quiet one, can be oddly difficult.
At my last job, I was working 60 to 70 hours every week. I would wake up at 2 a.m. and on most days I wouldn’t get home until around 5 p.m. It was exhausting, to the point where we prayed for months that some other job would come along.
Working 14 hours a day seems excessive when you’re selling ice cream, but when we’re talking about ministry, our attitudes change and it becomes acceptable. Those of us who are involved in ministry find it very difficult to allow ourselves permission to rest.
Life After Missions 