What to cut out?

Running out of time #1

I am finding that there is not enough time to do all the things I want to do. Up until this year I have managed to fit everything in, but lately I seemed to be "robbing Peter to pay Paul" to get through everything.  I find myself saying things like... "I'll just do a short chaplaincy visit and make it up next week." or "They can do without me on the church walking group". etc. etc. 

I have added a couple of extra things this year which I think have stretched the allotted amount of "time needed" to beyond its ability to stretch any further. We have things going on at "Space2B" at the church some of which take up my time. I have started to play soccer on Thursday.

It is getting close to October. In October we have the Annual General meetings of the Night Shelter Trust and Habitat for Humanity Directors Board. I will be asked if I want to continue, or it will be assumed that I will continue. But I NEED to be cutting back.

• I need to cut back because I simply can't fit it all in.
• I need to cut back because I need to have time and energy for exercise and some sort of home life.
• ...and my house and garden badly need some loving attention.
• I need to cut back because stress levels are constantly high. (Not good for my increasing blood pressure)

Here's the list of things I do...

• I am a church minister (this is a paid position) This involves a lot of things but most Tuesday nights out, every second Wednesday night and every Friday night at our Drop-in Centre is a minimum of nights out. Every second Wednesday morning I am involved in a Church Walking Group. Service and group preparation, administration and pastoral stuff are all part of the job.
• I am an industrial chaplain. (Contracted to the Brewery 1 hour per week... Fire stations 4 hours per week... St John Ambulance 2 hours per week.... I often go over time) Workplace Support pays the church for my time.
• I am a Director, Committee convener and building volunteer for Habitat for Humanity. Saturday work days, monthly meetings and extras as called upon. All volunteered time.
• I am on the Night Shelter Trust board. (Another volunteer activity)
• I have started playing soccer and encouraging a Street Footy team in Dunedin for "excluded" people ... an hour every Thursday morning.
• I have also some extra meetings through involvement in the Otago Emergency Services Peer Support team and sometimes some extra work doing critical incident stuff for Work Place Support. 

It all adds up to too many hours per week. 

But....

The difficult thing is that I cannot decide what to cut back on?

When I was in Palmerston North a minister there accepted a call to another town because he faced the same dilemma. It was easier, he told me, to move than to try to cut back. His involvements, people's expectations and demands on his time had got so high that he just said it was best he move, than try to stem the flow. Maybe that's what I need to do? I think the longer you stay in a place the broader your contact base and networks. This means there are potentially more people and organisations who will want some of your time. To start a new ministry in a different town would be bliss. There is always a "honeymoon" period when you can do no wrong and I would be free of so much of my extra curricular activity. I could "coast" through to retirement. 

But... if your vocation or calling is to make a difference this broad base of networks and contacts means that your influence is widened and deepened and may be you can be more effective because of it? Do you see my dilemma? October and Annual General Meetings are coming. Any advice would be welcome.

Running out of time #2

I was reminded of a harsh reality this morning. I was looking for something on my desk and discovered under some papers one of my dad's war medals. I had them out for a school project a great niece was doing a couple of weeks ago, but must have dropped this one when I put them away. I took it to the drawer where I was confident the rest of the medals were stashed. They were not there! Where were they? I hunted the house for them. I had lost them? Oh no! I feel a family responsibility for the safe keeping of these medals. I finally found them. ... but what do they mean? Dad is long dead and gone. What will they mean to my children when I am gone? In my search I discovered my medal, presented to me in 2003 (I think) but only worn once since... never likely to be worn again. What will that mean when I am dead... soon. One of my poor kids will feel duty bound to keep the blessed thing in a drawer somewhere. Good grief! We are here today and gone tomorrow and all our treasures will mean nothing. Some pains and health issues I have had recently indicate that my body is already winding down and well on the way to its inevitable shut down. Time for me is running out and I need to spend what time I have wisely. Back to the question above.

Life ... a short term loan we have... to invest well.

I spent a few hours digging my vege garden today and got to thinking... This dirt will still be here when I am gone. It was here for generations long before I arrived. I call it mine, but it isn't really mine. Like everything I have and life itself, it is only on loan for me to use wisely and well while I am here.

Back to the question above... How do I best invest the loan in my remaining years?