“What you are doing is not good. You will surely wear yourself out, both you and these people with you, for the task is too heavy for you; you cannot do it alone.”

Exodus 18: 17

When Carol dies, we’re in trouble.

You see, Carol is in charge of our annual chicken dinner here at (some fictitious) church. She and a few other ladies started the dinner in 1974, and she’s kept it going ever since.

Her gooseberry pie is phenomenal. No one else even knows the recipe! She’s got the table layout and place settings down to a science. Other volunteers come and go, but Carol’s sweat and blood is what makes it happen.

Oh, and she’s 92. When she’s gone, the chicken dinner will probably fly the coup.

Do you know any Carols? They are invaluable people. They are highly capable, and stepped up when others wouldn’t. They have made it part of their life’s work to keep a tradition, an organization, a group, etc. alive and kicking. Nobody planned it this way, but the whole thing seems to rest on their shoulders.

Can you relate? I can remember a few “group projects” in High School were everyone else flaked out, and I was left putting the whole thing together. As a pastor, there have been times I’ve felt indispensable, as if my middle name was suddenly “Peter”, the rock upon which the church is built. As if!

Moses had the same situation. He was propping up the Israelites. He was a prophet, yes, facilitating communication between God and God’s people. But he was more than that. He was the mayor, the sheriff, the prosecutor, and most importantly, the judge.

Every minor squabble came before Moses, awaiting his ruling. He had a million details to take care of and he did them all faithfully. If Moses’ father-in-law, Jethro, hadn’t stepped in, it could have continued that way until Moses was dead and buried. What shape would that have left the Israelites in?

Jethro pointed out the obvious. Moses couldn’t–shouldn’t be doing everything. What’s funny is that I’m sure Moses DIDN’T WANT to be doing everything. He was trapped in a role he never even wanted in the first place!

It took an outsider to point out that Moses was burning himself out. By trying to do everything, he was putting the whole nation at risk. Jethro made the obvious suggestion: Delegate.

Quickly Moses assembled a team of mini judges who would deal with minor issues. A little bit of the pressure was off Moses. Soon, many people shared the burdens of leadership, and the nation thrived.

That’s great when it happens. But Carols nowadays run into two main problems when faced with Jethro’s suggestion:

1. They hold on too tightly. They’ve propped things up for so long that letting anything go seems unthinkable.
   
2. They can’t get anybody to take over. They’re ready to delegate but nobody seems ready to step in, possibly for fear that THEY will become the NEXT Carol.

I wish there was an easy and delicate way to work out of such a situation. Probably the best way is to avoid it to begin with. That requires some careful discernment when starting something new. Ministry works better when it’s built on Christ, rather than one person.

In the best situations, Carols work with other stakeholders to reconceive of a healthier structure, and they move into the future together. Easier said than done, I know.

If you are propping something up all by yourself, hats off to you for your hard work and dedication. I invite you to find a way to share the work. If no acceptable option is available, maybe it’s okay to let some things fall apart. You shouldn’t have to carry the whole thing on your shoulders.

God’s love for you is not dependent upon how heavy a load you carry, but how you have loved God, neighbor, and yourself.

So keep the faith, “Carols”, and if you do make some changes…

try not to be a “Karen” about it.

(Apologies to all the wonderful Karens I know. It was too good to pass up.)

Have a great week,

Mitch