I saw a colleague recently ask how they were going to be able to do ministry while also surviving the death of both of their parents, within relatively close succession to one another. This after caring for them in the midst of also walking with a congregation full-time.

The truth is that sometimes the hits just keep on coming. Not a fun one to grapple with.

Even as we pastors are blessed to share in the joys of life and hold onto hands through the sorrows that our congregations experience, both individuals and as a body, we ourselves have our obnoxious illnesses, serious diagnoses, family emergencies, and true tragedies that bring grief, depression, and anxiety only adding to the stress of the job.

It is true that other professions find this to be the case, of course. We are far from alone. In fact, there are other occupations that have even greater day to day stress in many ways.

Nevertheless, the one thing that is different about clergy is this bizarre and antiquated expectation that we somehow have a direct line to the divine and therefore must be full of perfect holiness and willing to turn every other cheek – even as our personal lives and bodies fall to shambles.

That’s not the case. In any way.

The reality is that many of us pastors just care too much and love people with so much reckless abandon that we oftentimes forget how much rest our bodies actually need. (We are trying to do better…)

More importantly, when it comes to our families, these days at least, we are finally starting to set up appropriate boundaries and reminders that they are normal humans. Outside the realm of any expectations or conjectures that may be tied to us in our jobs.

Most importantly, though, is the essential reminder that all of us humans need: we cannot do this alone. Any of us. We all need care and compassion, because things do fall apart. And especially for followers of the God who makes God’s home among us, the truest test of our mettle is how well we rally for one another when trouble comes.