Throughout this entire day, I have been accompanied by my 3 month old son, Samuel. Mama is home sick, and so daddy’s daycare opened. Needless to say, I didn’t get to cross out a lot of items on my to do list at the end of the day. Usually, I would be in a rather negative frame of mind at the end of such a fruitless day, but instead, a smile keeps creeping up on my face. The simple fact remains–I love the little guy.

As I reflect on my short time in leadership, especially church leadership, I recall that I have numerous days like this on the calendar. Leaders are busy. Leaders have things to do. Yet there is no getting around the reality that people need the time of their leaders like my son needs me (I can hear his restless cries now.). Not just time in sermon preparation, private reflection or office paperwork. They need a leader they can see, hear and have lunch with.

Being this kind of leader is difficult. Time is a valuable commodity; there’s only so much of it going around. Giving your time to the people who are following you is a tough choice (sometimes an agonizing one as you watch the minutes tick away on your timex), but it is worth the investment. Besides, when you love them enough, it doesn’t seem like a burden at all.

Now, if you’ll excuse me, someone needs their diaper changed.