It’s the final day before I go back to Faith Church after my sabbatical. I’m ready to return, refreshed, stimulated, and eager to strike out in new directions.

My friend Steve Hayner was advised, when he was planning his sabbatical, “Describe your perfect day. Then string together enough of those perfect days to fill the time you’re away.” As a gift from God’s hand, I received three months’ worth of perfect days.

In spite of a year’s advance notice, there was a lot that could not have been planned. Each day when I was out of town, I was dependent on God to help me make contacts with people that would be beneficial. One contact would lead to another, and in God’s providence every day was meaningful and valuable, but God’s leading was “just-in-time.” My days were filled with thanksgiving that my heavenly Father was providing such a rich array of experiences, and I could never have known how to set them up in advance.

One thing I learned is that for me, a perfect day includes a certain amount of work. I think we were created with the capacity to take enjoyment from productive endeavor. With the right balance, work can be energizing and satisfying. And I did a lot of work on my sabbatical. I read, I studied, I wrote, and I often fell into bed weary from a day crammed full of new ideas and experiences, stimulating interactions and travel. But it was a “good tired,” and I drifted to sleep with deep gratitude in my soul.

On three occasions, well into my sabbatical, someone remarked, “Rick, you sound different. There’s a lightness in your voice.” What a revealing comment!  I may have pushed hard in order to maximize the time available, but in ways not fully understandable, God was replenishing me.

I will always be grateful to my church for making this transformative experience possible. This undoubtedly will be one of the high points of my life.