Lost in Translation

As a young missionary I've noticed that setting one's own hours is a challenge. How many hours should I spend in study? How many hours should I spend visiting people, or talking with a pastor? I'm sure that this will become more second nature after a while, but for now it's a challenge. Where does a missionary or pastor's work start and where does it end? Okay, most would say that it doesn't end. So the question really is, "What does God want me doing today?" As many books discuss, the urgent is not always the important. And the important rarely seems urgent.

For example, prayer does not seem very urgent we tell ourselves. I can get by today without concentrated prayer. But where will we be in five years of ministry with that attitude?

Or consider language learning. I can get by with my Spanish. I can communicate, and the people understand what I'm trying to say. Why should I make improving in Spanish a priority? You see how easily we justify putting important issues on the back burner.

This is a photo of my office . . . it's very cozy. I'm praying that I will spend the right amount of time there, doing the right things.