I knew this was going to be a busy week. Quite apart from the regular stuff, I needed to prepare a lot of notes and organize some I have used before for the leaders’ retreat I will be speaking at in Mumbai next week. In all I have to teach twelve sessions, which is a lot of talking and a lot of material.

I didn’t really need the distractions of one day feeling sick and another day trying to sort out what to do with a crippled car because some guy chose to ignore a stop sign.

I’m feeling quite okay now, and the car issue is resolved. Insurance company’s check is already in the bank and the body shop will repair my Expedition while I am away. But it’s Thursday night already.

That leaves me just one more day – as usual, I’ll be totally occupied the whole of Saturday and Sunday (though I admit Sunday evening will be pure recreation, watching the Harlem Globetrotters, thanks Maria!)

So I’m a bit uptight tonight. I know I laugh a lot, but you won’t find too many peopole who are more serious about what they do than I am. A whole bunch of church leaders have set aside time and shelled out money – an all-too-scarce commodity in India – to spend a few days listening to an American preacher because they think he will help them in what they are doing.

That’s pressure!

Though I can talk for ever about any subject under the sun, I am sure there are certain things that God wants these good people to hear next week. So I need to have some insight into what those things are.

That’s pressure!

I’m not as prepared as I’d like to be and Monday morning’s flight deadline is closing in.

That’s pressure!

But in the end of the day, when I’ve done all that I can, they are God’s people, doing God’s work, building God’s church and it’s up to him to take my best effort and make it into something of eternal value.

Pressure eased – a bit!