Inertia. That’s what the counselor told me that I was fighting. It’s been a while since I studied Physics so I had to look up the definition.

Inertia: a tendency to do nothing or to remain unchanged; a property of matter by which it continues in its existing state… unless that state is changed by an external force.

It made sense. Being on furlough after two years of transition felt like ministry had come to a screeching halt. I guess that’s the point. But by the end of the summer, instead of feeling rested and refreshed, I found myself in a dark place. I felt stuck, unchangeable, and in need of something, or someone, to act upon me (and within me!) to help me get unstuck.

“How did I get here, I cried?” I needed a Rescuer.

According to Gallup Daily tracking, only 32% of employees in the U.S. are engaged -- meaning they are involved in, enthusiastic about and committed to their work and workplace.

That leaves the majority who are basically disconnected from the goals and mission of their company. Why is the number so low? I’m sure millions of dollars are spent each year studying employee engagement so I probably won’t come up with groundbreaking answers to that problem.

But, I do wonder if it can partly be attributed to the fact that people don’t take the time to know themselves well enough to discover what their gifts are.

We hit the field full of vision, curiosity, and readiness. We were expectant.

Our organization had people in place to take care of its members. Our member care team was present at our meetings and gatherings. From the beginning, we saw them. We socialized with them. They told us stories about their families and asked about ours.

After about a year of living in Kenya, Chris started getting sick. Really sick. We were living on the hot east coast, but ended up making several trips into the capital city of Nairobi. Chris would be hospitalized for a period of time, improve, and be released to go back to the coast.

Everybody knows they should be healthier. But why does that matter?

Why should you choose kale over ice cream when we all know ice cream tastes better? Its because your faith and fitness are completely intertwined.

“The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.” —John 10:10

If there is one thing I have learned, after 8 summers in America, your furlough is not for you! This is not entirely true, but it is true that other people…family, supporters, your mission organization will have expectations of you and your time. Time, and how you spend it, will likely be the biggest question and possible contention of your home assignment. Summers for me aren’t “restful” but they can be very energizing and fun.

So, how can you have your cake and eat it too while on furlough?

Center for Mission Mobilization | Care & Development | 979.777.5160 | jamie.suel@mobilization.org