April 23, 2019 SHARE: Reading time: two minutes. Well done, good and faithful servant! You are good because of the goodness of Christ, the fruit of the Spirit, imparted to you. And you are faithful; you completed your Lenten/Easter tasks not believing that your efforts would make a difference, but in faith that Christ is present in word and sacrament. Well done. Now that you’ve faithfully cared for those who gathered in the Lord’s house on Easter, take time to care for the caregiver. For the sake of the ongoing and relentless call of the harvest field, pause to find refreshment for your soul, for your marriage, for your body so that you’ll be better able to serve with vitality and joy in the hectic days to come. Here are a couple suggestions for your post-Easter renewal.Spiritual Self-Care. How about a mini-spiritual retreat, just you and the Lord? Take a notebook and a hymnal. I was sometimes so distracted by all the details of Easter worship that I forgot to sing to Jesus! Give thanks for all the blessings of the season. Make a list of nice surprises where Jesus showed up. Ask for grace to cover your failings. Get yourself a blessing from the One who blesses best! Relational Self-Care. Single church workers need to reconnect with friends and close associates for some post-Easter fellowship and celebration. They might be wondering where you’ve been! Married workers would do well to seek forgiveness for any ways your family was neglected over recent weeks. Plan some re-connect adventures together. De-brief the season for next year’s preparations. Vocational Self-Care. What went well? Where could you have used some help? What would you do differently next year? Have a post-Easter “Let’s think about next year” conversation with staff or elders or musicians and apply the learnings from this year to make the season an even greater blessing to both you and the congregation next year. Physical Self-Care. First, take a nap or three this week. You’ve earned it. And find some time to do a body scan. What’s gotten out of balance? Do your sleep patterns need to get back on track? Have you neglected your exercise routine? What would it take to re-establish a pattern of fitness practices that will see you through the spring and summer? Jump on the scale. Busy times usually result in different eating habits. It feels good to feel good, so review your disciplines and get back to those practices that celebrate the Lord’s gift of physical energy, rest and good food. You’re a blessing to all you serve. Thanks for your efforts. Take care of yourself for the busy, joyful days ahead! Thanks for reading. Are you interested in helping bring a Grace Place Wellness Retreat to your region? We’d love to hear from you. Contact our President/CEO Randy Fauser today to begin exploring the possibilities. Let’s have a conversation about bringing our Church Worker Retreat to your area soon!