Some jobs need you to be fully present, on location, there in the flesh. That is the primary reason I stepped down recently as the pastor of the International Church in Skopje. I needed to BE there, and I couldn't. Other jobs require you to be fully present mentally and emotionally, but not physically. That is the job I have now. People still need me to be present, but they need my attention, my focus, my experience, my skills . . . but they don't actually need me to BE there.
These different types of jobs (and there is a whole scale of jobs between these two extremes) are equally important, equally impactful, and equally difficult, just in completely different ways. Please hear me well, I am in no way diminishing the critical nature of being a Pastor, nor the difficulty of that job. I should know, as I have held that job in one fashion or another for most of my adult life.
But the locationless job I have now is fascinating to me. As my dear sweet wife pointed out to me, I am very particularly wired to do this and do it well. My steady high scores and evaluations year after year, echo her belief. I have accomplished some significant work this week in Ukraine, Czech Republic, Bulgaria, Macedonia, Cambodia, and Myanmar. I have helped save babies, teach church planting, been invited to teach, assess, create and develop. And all this and more, while physically being in Thailand the entire time.
So whether your value is created be BEING there or by being THERE, make sure you don't allow anything to stop you from being awesome.
