Don’t you hate when someone’s words crawl inside your brain and camp out there? Like you can’t even remember your name because you are too busy replaying what he/she said. Yes that. That is exactly how I got a flat on my unicycle. Well, maybe that’s not how I got it, but that’s how I knew I had it. Let me explain.

I have a brilliant friend who wrote a brilliant book several years ago. He even let me write an endorsement for his brilliant book. Y’all had no idea I was that famous. Now if I wrote an endorsement for the book, that obviously means I read the book. And I obviously thought it was good. But here’s the thing. I thought it was good for someone else, not necessarily good for me. But all that changed in late June because I actually sat in a room with my brilliant friend and listened to him talk about his brilliant book, and it hit me like a ton of bricks. I’ve got a flat tire on my unicycle.

Now I know you can’t stand it any longer, because you’re wondering if you have a flat tire, too, so let me tell you more. My friend is Adam Saenz, and his book is The Power of a Teacher. Now do NOT stop reading if you are not a teacher, because let me tell you this. You. Are. A. Teacher. Every single one of us – not just the ones who get paid to be in school classrooms – are teachers. And we all wield power in that role. People are watching and listening and learning from you. All. The. Time. So now that we’ve settled that, the book is about wellness, balance, and self-care. Just another reason to keep reading. You know you need it.

Adam explains it this way. Each of us rides on a unicycle. The tire on the unicycle is our well-being in five areas: spiritual, relational, physical, occupational, and financial. Every person we love { think family and friends }, as well as those we are responsible for { think co-workers and more }, ride on our shoulders. So if any area of our well-being is out of whack, we have a flat tire. And because we are on a unicycle, that flat tire affects everyone. Not convinced? What happens when everything at work is rotten? when your finances are a mess? when you never get any real rest? when you’re trapped in a toxic relationship? Exactly. It not only impacts you. It impacts those around you, or as Adam puts it, those riding on your shoulders. Pretty scary, huh?

So Adam has this nifty little inventory you can take in his book, and it helps you assess your overall well-being. As I took the inventory, I was rocking – well I guess rolling actually – along great until I got to physical. Sweet mercy. I scored a whopping 4 out of 10. Can anyone say flat tire? And I’d love to say it doesn’t impact anybody but me, but I know better. You do, too. But let me tell you that it wasn’t Adam’s unicycle analogy that really made me want to change a few things in my life. It was this verse. The verse God gave me when we opened Sanctuary Oaks. “Then have them make a sanctuary for me, and I will dwell among them.” { Exodus 25:8 } Now in this verse, God was giving Moses instructions about building a physical temple, but you and I know that Jesus changed the dwelling place of God from a temple to us! We are His living sanctuary. And our well-being matters. Every one of those areas Adam identified also impacts our ability to be effective as disciples for Christ. Now that gets my attention. And by golly, that 4 out of 10 won’t stay that way.

What areas of your life are out of whack? Who’s barely hanging on as they sit on top of your shoulders and you bump on down the road? Is your sanctuary on a shaky foundation? It matters.

May we know Him and make Him known!

{ Please know this is NOT an advertisement for Adam or his book. He doesn’t even know I’ve written this. Just consider it a public service announcement because I care about you, and I care about the church. How we care for ourselves individually and corporately matters greatly. }