Look at this, Chuck." My mechanic held the radiator hose he had just taken off my car.

He pointed to cracks in the rubber on the inside and also to frayed edges on some of the belts. "I'd feel a lot better with these replaced before you take your trip. Preventive maintenance keeps trouble from happening down the road."

Most of us in ministry appear to be doing fine, but I wonder how many have frayed edges and subtle cracks. Without proper attention, we risk trouble down the road.

My dad, a ministry veteran, often reminded me that he was forced to slow down after a heart attack. He gave me not so subtle warnings as well. I knew he was right, but what concerned me was not the heart but the soul and spirit. I feared problems in areas no EKG would detect.

Putting a retreat in my Daytimer wasn't without a struggle. I had gotten away for as much as 48 hours before. But ten days? Never. I approached the elders. They approved. With the affirmation of my wife and family, I took off for ten days alone ...