It has been nearly a decade since I entered the world of digital marketing and ran my first ads on Google and Facebook. So much has changed since then and when I stop to...
Not every next step comes with a policy to support it.
There was no sabbatical form to fill out. No policy to reference. No “approved” process.
And yet, the invitation was clear: pause.
My wife Jess and I had been serving with a youth-focused ministry in Australia for nearly a decade. We were new parents at the time, exhausted, stretched, and still trying to faithfully carry the responsibilities of leadership we’d been trusted with.
But beneath the full schedule and familiar rhythm, we sensed something deeper stirring. The kind of soul-level exhaustion you can’t fix with a weekend off. The quiet voice of God saying, this pace isn’t sustainable, and it’s time to slow down.
So we brought it to our leaders.
No Sabbatical Policy. No Map Forward.
The idea of a sabbatical wasn’t rejected. But it also wasn’t recognized.
We were offered a couple extra weeks off, graciously, but the idea of stepping away for an extended period? That felt like new territory for everyone involved. There was no precedent. No framework. No language around what it meant to pause with purpose and return refreshed.
The only clear path, if we wanted to take an actual sabbatical, was to step down completely. Leave staff. Surrender our roles. No guarantees of return.
And that’s when the question got real.
Were we willing to risk what we’d built in order to follow what God was asking of us? A path we believed was the right one for our leadership and ultimately our marriage and family.
Obedience Over Position
That decision wasn’t made quickly. It took time. Prayer. A lot of long conversations between us and with God.
And eventually, clarity came, not just about what we needed to do, but why.
This wasn’t about burnout. It wasn’t even about rest for the sake of rest.
It was about obedience.
Obedience to the whisper of God that said, if you let go, I’ll meet you there.
We came back to our leaders, this time not to convince, but simply to share. And to our surprise, they released and blessed us to take the sabbatical, even though the structure didn’t exist for it.
It was one of the most sacred “yeses” I’ve ever experienced.
What That Season Gave Us
We didn’t have a plan. No structure. No sabbatical coach.
But what we did have was space to breathe, and room to hear God again.
Looking back, I believe it’s one of the reasons we’re still standing today. That pause realigned us in ways we couldn’t have imagined at the time. It set the foundation for the next chapter, one that’s lasted over 20 years in ministry, marriage, and meaningful work.
If You’re In That Place Now
If you’re sensing that same need to pause, but you’re not sure how, or if your workplace doesn’t have a clear pathway, I want you to know: you’re not alone.
These days I get to support the work of Soul Care, an organization that does have the language, tools, and support structures I wish we’d had back then. Their Sabbatical Services are designed to walk with leaders just like we were: committed, called, but tired.
You don’t need to wait until everything is falling apart to take rest seriously.
Explore what Soul Care offers. It could be the clarity, permission, and support you’ve been looking for.
