Long before God called me to be a pastor, God has called me to be a responsible and loving human being.
— Steven McKinley

I was a young pastor, recently called to serve as solo pastor of a medium-sized congregation that had grown "stale." I threw myself wholeheartedly into the challenge, using all my skills and energy to lead the congregation into a lively commitment.

I was also a young father. Our first-born daughter was about 2 years old at the time. I do not remember the exact circumstances. I only remember that it was a typically busy time in the life of the congregation. I attended meetings late into the night and returned to the office early in the morning.

The parsonage was only a sidewalk's width away from the church, so most days I came home for lunch. One day at lunch, my wife reported to me a question our daughter had asked that morning.

"Does Daddy ever come home and sleep with you any more?"

By the time I would get home evenings, our 2 year old was asleep. When she awoke the next ...