My Burnout Move
by David White
I've been in the ministry for over 20 years. I was beginning to suffer the signs of depression about five years ago and fell back on an old hobby I practiced as a teenager and later as a college student that helped me tremendously. I began to play the drums again, in a Classic Rock Band with other Christian musicians my age. I would have to travel sometimes over 150 miles on one or two Saturday nights a month to play with my group at some public event. I would often only get about three hours of sleep. In spite of this, the next morning I was better than ever. My wife said my preaching had never been better, I was happier than I had been in years until..I had to take on the vacancy duties at another church thirty miles away from my own. This lasted for over a year and then I received a call from another church in my home state and my wife wanted to move back. Because I was so exhausted that I couldn't sort through the pros and cons of leaving for "greener pastures" I caved to the pressure and now my drums sit in the corner of my home and I have no outlet for my ministry pressures. Shortly after arriving here I began waking up with panic attacks and am now on anti-depressants. |