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Pastoring when you're sick
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A few months ago, I was diagnosed with Type II diabetes. While I usually manage fairly well, my blood pressure has been high for the past couple weeks, and I've had some heart palpitations so my doctor changed my medicine. Fearing that the diabetes was a contributing factor, he upped the Glyburide I take from 25mg daily to 50mg. And I've been paying for it ever since.
My blood glucose doesn't run extremely high at the worst of times. But it can drop to 50 in a heartbeat. Whenever it does, it wipes me out for at least a full day. I have to rush to eat something to bring it back up and then I typically have shakes, cold sweats and overall weakness that lasts for hours. That happened two days in a row last week, which got me to thinking (after I got past feeling so rough!) about the "joys" of pastoring when you don't feel well.
Since I'm "only a writer now" and not currently pastoring, it was somewhat easier for me to take a couple days off and vegetate on the sofa. Though I wasn't able to meet my weekly obligations, my clients tend to be pretty understanding, so I took the time I needed to feel better. It's not always that easy when you're pastoring, though. Especially if yours is a small church. Here are some ways to cope when you absolutely have to keep going whether you feel like it or not.
• Delegate as much as you can. Ask others to make phone calls, visits or whatever else is needed when possible.
• Rearrange your schedule. If you can't get someone else to make your calls or visits, postpone them off for a couple days if you can. Unless it's serious, most illness will be gone within a few days at the most.
• Avoid physical contact with others. You don't need to prolong your own illness by acquiring more germs, and you certainly don't want to spread the germs you're carrying!
• Do only what you must do. Save the optional tasks for another day.
• Go to Plan B. Be prepared for the possibility of illness or other emergencies by keeping a couple of sermon outlines ready for use with only a quick overview. Or have a special speaker lined up in advance. You could even let your missionary society or youth group hold the service.
• Be a good patient. Take your medicine properly, whether prescribed or over-the-counter. Drink lots of fluids and get plenty of rest. Take care of yourself so you can more quickly return to taking care of your flock.
• Let others care for you. Many church members love to care for their pastors. They consider it repayment for the loving care they receive all year long. So let them bring you chicken soup and pick up your prescriptions, mow your lawn or babysit the kids. If they offer and it would really help you, let them do it. The blessing will be theirs as much as yours.
• Pray for yourself. The thought pattern that says it's wrong to pray for yourself is flawed. If you don't pray for yourself first, you won't be able to pray for others. Ask the Lord to heal you, yes, but also ask for His comfort and peace during the trials of illness.
• Don't forget to thank God for His healing. It's His loving touch that made you well, even if medicine helped. So be thankful for your good health when you begin to feel better and let the Lord know how grateful you are for the blessing of wellness.
• Create a wellness plan. Some times illness can't be helped, but do all you can to stay healthy. Exercise, eat right and care for the temple God made that is you. Proactive health care is much better for all concerned than you getting sick in the first place.
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