Many people who live under pressure also feel that others don’t appreciate the sacrifice that they are making. While the very nature of ministry results in unusual pressures and demands, one of the difficult aspects of that reality is that people feel under-appreciated. Think about what a difference it makes if you know that others appreciate the efforts you are making. It makes the demands of your life easier. The same is true for the pastor’s family.
The first thing you can do to ameliorate the harmful aspects of being part of a pastor’s family, is to demonstrate gratitude for the efforts that they are making. Most people, including young people, can endure a lot if they think that others are recognizing and appreciating the sacrifices they are making. An important act that a pastor can take to ease the pressure on their family, is to occasionally do something that both acknowledges and shows appreciation for the efforts of your immediate family. That can be as simple as simply saying thank you and is even more effective if the family member receives a written note acknowledging the contributions of family members.
In addition, a family can benefit from occasionally engaging in an intentional activity as an act of appreciation. For a couple, it might be a special meal. For teenagers, it might be a canoe trip or attending an amusement park. In both cases, the pastor should explicitly say,”I want to do this to express my thanks for the support of my family.”
Like with the individual list of fun activities that you composed on Monday, it would be good to have the whole family put together a list of fun activities, some of them that can be done in brief amounts of time and some that take a little longer. The very act of putting the list together can have its benefits, but also having a list that you can draw from when the moment arrives, can also be of help.
