With every turn of any ministry magazine page, click of the mouse on a website or interactions with others in the trenches, soul care seems to be the common thread that is streaming through today’s hot topic conversations. What we don’t do already and what we should be doing are high on the priority list for anyone in conversation surrounding this issue. Why is it that we get burned out? Why is is that a culture of ministry is created in which we are deemed to be readily available at the beck and call of every parent and teenager in our ministry? Why if we’re young and unmarried with no children is there an expectation that we will be willing to work longer hours? Why is it that if we’re married and with children the expectation is that we will drop the lives of our family memebers to care for someone else’s? All of these questions trickle through my mind as a constant flood when I hear those two simple words: soul care.

Waking up on a day off to a text message saying, “Meet me for coffee & a walk? 9:15ish” was the best thing that could have happened to me. A close friend and someone who understands was off this particular morning, as well. She is married with three children and runs a successful business that caters to the artistic abilities of hundreds of children, several of whom participate in my ministry. We often talk, question, laugh and cry about the calling God has placed on each of our lives. The same questions arise each time, and each time we leave with no answers…until this morning. As we were sitting in her quiet kitchen sharing life together, both of us began to cry. She said eight simple words that rocked my thought process for soul care. “Nothing is more important than this right here.” We talked, laughed, cried and watched her littlest one sleep away the morning as we solved the problems of the world. That morning, my friend didn’t realize her eight words would ignite a fire in my thought process.

Nothing is more important than this right here…

As we sat in her kitchen that morning, I realized there’s no specific formula to soul care. It’s different for each person, each personality, each beating heart that’s in the trenches of ministry on a daily basis. What works for me is not feeling obligated to answer texts and phone calls and emails; but instead to take a power walk with a great friend and to laugh, cry and talk about Jesus over morning coffee. What works for my friend is skipping a church activity and taking her girls and husband apple picking–to enjoy God’s creation and each other.

My soul was cared for on my day off. It worked well for me. I felt so relaxed and alive in that simple moment in a kitchen on a cold fall morning while a coffee cup warmed up my hands.

So, yes; I agree with every other person writing about soul care out there these days. I agree it’s necessary. My thoughts are just that there’s no specific formula. Find out what works for you–and make it happen.

Are you taking a day off? Are you experiencing the presence of God through your rest? When our souls aren’t cared for, our ministries become programs. We aren’t called to run programs; we’re called to invest in relationships that God can use to advance His kingdom.

So get some rest. We’ve got work to do.