Take Some Down Time!

One of my most interesting  and gratifying part-time occupations, as a retired pastor, is the weekly engaging of truck drivers. I am employed as a workplace chaplain serving several clients in different settings. One, for example, is a national food distribution company. My job is to reach out to over-the-road professional drivers by phone in real-time each week. I do my best in these chaplain-to-driver conversations to offer them encouragement and a listening ear to their joys and concerns.

Hooray for downtime!
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Most of these chats occur while the guys are driving and are usually short (3-5 minutes) in duration of necessity. However, occasionally, the calls become longer depending on the need. Sometimes their spouses and family members are included. I especially enjoy these because I seem to get more out of the men when their wives are listening and participating!

During summer months, it is common to have these workplace friends to pick up the call, even when they are on vacation on beaches from South Padre Island in the Gulf of Mexico to Hilton Head, North Carolina. One driver this week was enjoying time with his family at the Iowa State Fair near his home in northeast Illinois. During wintertime these guys will answer and even want to talk as they are riding horses in the desert areas of Arizona!

I love it when I try to excuse myself to get off the line in a hurry so they can enjoy themselves with family and friends and they won’t let me go. They often delight and surprise me by interrupting to say, “Oh no! That’s fine! I’ve got time to talk!” And then they tell me about their experiences and what a wonderful time they are having in getting away to enjoy some down time with their loved ones.

These drivers deal with a lot of stress in their careers on the road and away from home during long hauls. They have learned to get away from it all to recharge their physical, emotional, and mental “batteries.” They know the importance of replenishing their strength. I had a couple of drivers this week who took the day off to get out on a river or lake with a son or grandson to fish. One admitted, “I am a lot easier to live with if I get to go fishing once in a while!”

According to a study from a human resource company, “over 65% of workers experienced burnout in 2023.” Researchers in the mental health field tell us that even a mini vacation can help to reduce stress in our lives! These shorter times away are cheaper and easier to negotiate professionally. They also allow us to keep up with family and friends at home since we would only be away for a few days at a time.

Our Lord regularly sought out moments of rest with his disciples and often alone. He got into a boat one time and fell fast asleep (Matthew 8:23-24). On another occasion, after a tiring walk, he had to sit down to rest at a well in Samaria (John 4:6). And in one of my favorite accounts, Jesus retreated with His disciples who were tired and hungry after a challenging day of ministry to the crowds. He said to them, “Come off by yourselves; let’s take a break and get a little rest. For there was constant coming and going. They didn’t even have time to eat.” (Mark 6:31-31, The Message).

As the Son of God, Jesus knew the importance of recharging His human spirit and of refreshing times with the Heavenly Father. If He knew when to stop and rest, shouldn’t we practice the same work-rest rhythm in our lives? Here’s good advice for the weary and stressed, “Take some down time!” Let’s unwind and rest so that God may restore our souls!

Mike Keppler, retired pastor,

active churchman and

doting grandparent.

Contact: drmjkeppler@gmail.com 

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