By 
I love my job.
I always feel a little guilty when sharing frustrations about my job. I’ve wanted to be a pastor since I was 15 and God has blessed me with a great position at a wonderful church. I also fully realize that so many people do for free what I get paid to do.
That being said, I’m a little down and it has a lot to do with my job.
I’m in the midst of a really busy season at work and it’s starting to take a toll. I really took notice of it when Alycia, my wife, commented that I had seemed a little down lately. I don’t like being down because it makes me feel like Eeyore and no one likes being around Eeyore.
When I look at my life I realize that I don’t have a lot to be down about.
I have a great job.
I have an amazing wife.
I have awesome friends.
I have a roof over my head.
I have plenty of food and clean water.
In spite of all those blessings, though, the busyness of this current season is affecting me, as if I lost my tail in the 100-Acre Wood.
Even if we don’t have the world’s worst problems, it’s encouraging to know God still cares. I’m not starving or stricken with cancer, but God still cares about my problems. You may not be dying of AIDS in sub-Saharan Africa, but God still cares about your problems.
If we can learn anything from books like Psalms and Lamentations, it’s that God wants us to cry out to him. He wants to hear our hearts cry, whether that’s a cry of anguish or a cry of joy. Sometimes we feel like our problems are too insignificant to bring to God. The truth is someone else will always be worse off than we are, so we shouldn’t let that feeling of insignificance keep us from bringing our problems to God.
Acknowledging that other people are worse off than we are helps us maintain a proper perspective on our problems. Our problems still impact us, no matter how large or small, and God wants us to bring them before him.
However, if you’re problem is that you can’t sleep because you’re too excited for Mass Effect 3, bring it before God. He’ll probably just tell you to be patient or to give the $60 you’d spend on the game to charity.
What keeps you from bringing your problems before God?
The Christian Nerd 
I’ve always had a special affection for Eeyore. His ability to occasionally triumph against the “grayness” has always given me hope.
Pastors don’t get to be Eeyore in our current culture. It’s not acceptable. And acquiescence to that norm ruins many of them.
Never lose your ability to be Eeyore in public. It’s only when Pooh or Piglet or Christopher Robin can see Eeyore’s sadness, when they can be allowed access to his little hut by the river, that they can put an arm around him and give him a Daisy to replace his thistle or help him find his tail.
I hope you find your tail. In my experience, it tends to be close by.
Thanks, Kevin. I like the thought of Eeyore triumphing against his grayness with the help of his friends.
When I was younger I tried covering up my Eeyore-ness. It would tear me apart and make me more miserable. I’ve found the freedom in being able to tell people, “I’m just not doing that great today.” It’s not a full surrender, just an honest confession, that allows me to continue on and do what needs to be done.