tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1962731110719190549.post4355700965158593660..comments2024-01-20T00:07:48.249-08:00Comments on part time priest: Things fall apartClaire Alcockhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14231267501917426061noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1962731110719190549.post-80810935614304281162013-05-30T05:14:21.351-07:002013-05-30T05:14:21.351-07:00That's very interesting and shows juggling and...That's very interesting and shows juggling and stressful diaries/work life balance issues are endemic to all seasons I suppose.<br />We all need to return to the still centre continuously.<br />Thank you for your thoughts.Claire Alcockhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14231267501917426061noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1962731110719190549.post-26288044351467394832013-05-30T00:41:43.364-07:002013-05-30T00:41:43.364-07:00Just living in the chaos you describe, reminds me ...Just living in the chaos you describe, reminds me of the life I led when I was working. Much time procrastinating about items on my 'to do' list, which got transferred from day to day until eventually they lost their priority and were deleted, since nobody had actually asked for the information so urgently demanded several months before.<br /><br />Combining three jobs into one (two posts were long term gapped and I picked up the work) was a nightmare. I would move from the intricacies of financial management and audit to the horrors of Business Continuity precautions to Doing Risk Assessments for Substances Hazardous to health. I'd also be juggling a few Human Resource issues such as dealing with complaints, trying to get funding to recruit the vacant posts and dealing with long term sick absence in a pastoral way, under pressure from those up the chain whose agenda was making the absentee redundant.<br /><br />Along with this, I was juggling a personal life and family, with a spouse who also had two jobs with competing priorities and who needed my support to keep it all together. <br /><br />On the horizen was my pending retirement, preparing a job description was a nightmare, because they'd have to pick up on three jobs, not one :( And sort out pensions and all the baggage that that brings. At the same time, I was trying to discern a vocation to Ordained Ministry. <br /><br />Eventually, I retired, having been unsuccessful in identifying a successor leaving my post gapped for someone else to pick up, along with the other three. I left without regret looking forward to concentrating on discernment in some breathing space. Sad really.<br /><br />I now have a different life. Discernment has been and gone and NOT meant that another path needs to be discerned. Now, I'm in the grip of hurry up and wait. My spouse having retired from one job, still works virtually full time at another, and has had serious health problems. My tidy, unpressured life has been turned upside down more times since retirement than it ever did while working. Not sure what message God is sending, but I'm finding it particularly challenging at the moment. <br /><br />So, while you struggle with 'things' be content that others struggle alongside you in different ways, in different spheres, but all trying to be the best that they can be.UKViewerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18114944341930758335noreply@blogger.com