{"id":2843,"date":"2012-07-13T05:22:49","date_gmt":"2012-07-13T09:22:49","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.beliefnet.com\/simplelife\/?p=2843"},"modified":"2012-07-16T06:38:43","modified_gmt":"2012-07-16T10:38:43","slug":"tension-versus-flexibility","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/simplelife\/2012\/07\/tension-versus-flexibility.html","title":{"rendered":"Tension versus flexibility"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a>We all live with tensions in our lives.\u00a0 There is the importance of play versus work; work versus family and friends.\u00a0 We wrestle with maintaining a spiritual connection\u00a0with the Lord\u00a0while still being authentic people.\u00a0 Eating healthy diets\u00a0balanced with comfort foods that may soothe your feelings during stress.\u00a0 There is the need for exercise coupled with the body recouping\u00a0energy gained through\u00a0rest, sleep and relaxation.\u00a0 If we are healthy in body, mind and spirit, we have learned to balance each of the tensions in our lives which brings a harmonious hum to each day.<\/p>\n

\"Tension<\/a><\/p>\n

Within every ministry there are also tensions.\u00a0 If you are associated with a non-disabled group of people, there\u00a0is usually the tension between studying to teach and preach three to five messages a week and counseling and visitation.\u00a0 If you are a youth pastor,\u00a0there will be the tension between study and planning\u00a0versus counseling and interacting in playful ministry with the youth under your care.\u00a0 If you are a hospital chaplain, there is the tension between paperwork and\u00a0praying with and for\u00a0people\u00a0who are in pain.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

For\u00a0people who work with Special Gathering, we actually face all of these ministry tensions.\u00a0 As a ministry within the disability community, our goal is to disciple and evangelize the mentally challenged community.\u00a0In addition, there is the added and\u00a0constant tension between advocacy, paperwork, building local church interaction and all the other concerns in our ministry bag.\u00a0 <\/span><\/p>\n

Because our members are heavily invested within the governmental system for their support, we believe that advocacy is an important part of what we do and our\u00a0work-week reflects that. Nevertheless, there is a struggle to bring balance, coupled with order.\u00a0\u00a0As states go bankrupt \u00a0and services are cut, we think we must inform and advise. \u00a0However, should that take the place of daily devotion?\u00a0 Maybe and maybe not.\u00a0 We actually would like to strike a balance.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

We can\u2019t lose our connection with our real Provider and Friend, the Lord Jesus.\u00a0 This is a time for prayer for and a time for each of us to work for an equitable balance within state budgets. \u00a0The only thing which will bring equity will be God\u2019s hand of balance and love.\u00a0 We access that grace through His mercy and by our prayers.<\/p>\n

What are the tensions you are facing in your life? \u00a0What brings tension and flexibility to your life?<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

We all live with tensions in our lives.\u00a0 There is the importance of play versus work; work versus family and friends.\u00a0 We wrestle with maintaining a spiritual connection\u00a0with the Lord\u00a0while still being authentic people.\u00a0 Eating healthy diets\u00a0balanced with comfort foods that may soothe your feelings during stress.\u00a0 There is the need for exercise coupled with…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":387,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5,20,3,40,186,49,16,147,8,4],"tags":[690,21,688,7,699,715,701,694,689,6],"class_list":["post-2843","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-christianity","category-church","category-developmental-disabilities","category-faith","category-hope","category-inspiration","category-intellectual-disability","category-leadership","category-mentally-challenged-community","category-simple-truths","tag-autism-spectrum","tag-christian","tag-christianity","tag-developmental-disabilities-2","tag-faith","tag-hope","tag-inspiration","tag-intellectual-disability","tag-mentally-challenged-community","tag-simple-scriptural-truths"],"yoast_head":"\nTension versus flexibility - A Simple Life, a Childlike Faith<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/simplelife\/2012\/07\/tension-versus-flexibility.html\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Tension versus flexibility - A Simple Life, a Childlike Faith\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"We all live with tensions in our lives.\u00a0 There is the importance of play versus work; work versus family and friends.\u00a0 We wrestle with maintaining a spiritual connection\u00a0with the Lord\u00a0while still being authentic people.\u00a0 Eating healthy diets\u00a0balanced with comfort foods that may soothe your feelings during stress.\u00a0 There is the need for exercise coupled with…\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/simplelife\/2012\/07\/tension-versus-flexibility.html\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"A Simple Life, a Childlike Faith\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2012-07-13T09:22:49+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2012-07-16T10:38:43+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"http:\/\/blog.beliefnet.com\/simplelife\/files\/2012\/07\/Tension-Mounts-300x199.jpg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Linda G. Howard\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Tension versus flexibility - A Simple Life, a Childlike Faith","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/simplelife\/2012\/07\/tension-versus-flexibility.html","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Tension versus flexibility - A Simple Life, a Childlike Faith","og_description":"We all live with tensions in our lives.\u00a0 There is the importance of play versus work; work versus family and friends.\u00a0 We wrestle with maintaining a spiritual connection\u00a0with the Lord\u00a0while still being authentic people.\u00a0 Eating healthy diets\u00a0balanced with comfort foods that may soothe your feelings during stress.\u00a0 There is the need for exercise coupled with…","og_url":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/simplelife\/2012\/07\/tension-versus-flexibility.html","og_site_name":"A Simple Life, a Childlike Faith","article_published_time":"2012-07-13T09:22:49+00:00","article_modified_time":"2012-07-16T10:38:43+00:00","og_image":[{"url":"http:\/\/blog.beliefnet.com\/simplelife\/files\/2012\/07\/Tension-Mounts-300x199.jpg"}],"author":"Linda G. 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