When you look back over the course of your life someday, do you think you'll be happy with how you used it and the experiences you allowed yourself to have, or do you think you'll look back and wish you had done some things differently?
In recent years, I have started to give a lot of thought to that question. I'm a big believer in the value of stepping out on faith and doing things that interrupt predictable routines. I like being stretched. I like putting myself into unfamiliar circumstances. I also like learning new things and meeting new people, so I decided to do something very different over the course of the next few months.
This summer, I'm going to be a ride operator at one of my favorite places on earth, Knoebels Amusement Resort!
(Make sure you read to the end to see why.)
I can only imagine what some people will think when they read that statement. I can already anticipate some of the questions.
“How will you do this AND pastor a church?”
"Isn't Knoebels kind of far from where you live?”
"Aren't you already doing a million other things?"
It's true, I already have a job and quite a few other responsibilities. I have a family. I'm the pastor of a church. I lead a mission board. I host podcasts, write books and blog posts, lead an online membership community, and several other things. How did I find time to add something else, and why would I take a job if I didn't actually need the money?
Let's start with family...
My wife and I have four children and we have taken our kids to Knoebels all throughout their life, beginning with our oldest daughter that we took to the park on her first birthday. Our kids practically grew up there. They know the layout of the entire park and everything it contains (like the map has been burned into their brains). But, our kids went and got old. In the fall, three of them will be in college and unfortunately, their work and class schedules rarely allow them time to visit the park these days. I honestly miss taking them there.
Our youngest, Julia, is 16. She's a lot like me, and she's always up for an adventure. In fact, many of my recent adventures have been taken with her. She loves Knoebels almost as much as I do, so when I told her what I was planning to do this summer, I also said, "I think you should apply to work there too. We could be ride operators together!" I barely got the sentence out of my mouth when she enthusiastically said, "Yes! I will absolutely do that!"
The interview...
Julia and I drove to Knoebels yesterday and had our formal interview together. That made it official. After the interview, our new supervisor reached out his hand and said, "Welcome to the team! You're going to love it here!" My daughter and I will have the same boss AND make the same hourly salary. She finds that very entertaining.
What about your church and your other ministries?
The people who know me best know that I like to keep my life organized. My office, house, lawn, and car all reflect this trait. My schedule does as well. One of the big reasons I'm able to juggle my responsibilities is because of the way I structure and follow a precise weekly schedule. I have kept the same schedule for nearly 25 years, and it helps keep me on task while also allowing me time to rest and recuperate from some of the difficult things I'm asked to do each week.
I have been serving in pastoral ministry since 1996 when I was first hired as a youth pastor. Two years later, I became a full-time senior pastor. Anyone who serves in this role will tell you that your brain and your heart get a workout all week long. Even though you enjoy what you do, you frequently feel emotionally drained from leading, teaching, and counseling. You also receive A LOT of criticism. Everyone has an opinion about how you do your job and how you live your life. Most people are supportive and encouraging, but some are not. (I recently read that most people who enter pastoral ministry quit after about five years because the emotional drain and the pressure of serving in a very public role becomes too much.)
To help me deal with that emotional drain, I take Mondays off. It's a day of rest for me, but I don't typically use it to sleep or sit around. I find it therapeutic to give my mind and emotions a change of pace by doing physical labor for much of the day. I ignore my phone as best as I can while I mow the lawn, clean the car, work on my house, or do some other kind of physical task. My vocation isn't physical in nature, so having a day dedicated to physical labor often helps me feel balanced for the rest of the week, and it helps me relax and relieve stress as well.
One other problem...
I experience one other problem though. Even though I'm frequently in front of groups of people, leading, speaking, teaching, and counseling, I also spend a lot of time feeling "alone." It's somewhat unavoidable. It kind of has to be that way. When I'm preparing sermons, doing administrative tasks, or writing and recording things that I share online, I can't really do those tasks with a crowd. I need time to focus, and I do a better job if I'm not stopping and starting over and over. But since I'm an extrovert who enjoys being around people, I often wish that part of my week had a little more balance. Sometimes I get sick of staring at the walls in my office and I'd rather be having a conversation with other humans.
The perfect solution, I think...
So, since I take Mondays off to do physical labor and clear my mind, and since Julia also has Mondays off from the salon she works at, and since being a ride operator at Knoebels will allow me to do physical tasks in a social environment, I decided to offer my day off (and Julia's day off) to them this summer to see what they thought of the idea.
Would they hire a guy who doesn't actually need a job to come and work on his day off?
Would they also hire his daughter who doesn't need a job to work with him?
Turns out, they thought the idea was great! They have been short-staffed the past two years and our new supervisor said, "This is definitely unconventional, but let's do it! We're happy to have you on board. The more the merrier!"
Will I see you this Summer?
So, if you're going to be visiting Knoebels on a Monday this summer, I hope you'll seek us out and say hi. And if you're someone who has a day each week that you could spare to do something like this, let me encourage you to give it a try. I think it's going to be a lot of fun, and I'm looking forward to this new adventure that my daughter and I will get to do together.
