He came into the meeting a little late, hair tousled, his typical gravelly voice apologizing with a sincere smile.   A group of local worship pastors and leaders had gathered at the regular spot, a trendy cafe off the beaten path, for our monthly fellowship.  We welcomed him to our circle. 

We were tossing around small talk and funny anecdotes when he spoke up.  "You know," he began, "It's gotten to the point where I've planned eighteen Christmas Eve services."  He paused momentarily.  "And one day, I came into the office and realized that I couldn't do nineteen."

I remember just sitting there in the awkwardness of that moment, not knowing what to say, sipping my coffee, feeling his pain.  You see, we'd all been there, far too many times. Anyone who is in ministry knows this feeling.