When I was on staff at church, our annual retreats often began with a time called "Celebrate and Evaluate." We would share three accomplishments in our particular area for the past year, and then three challenges or goals that we faced for the coming year. It was a time to celebrate what God had done in our ministries and be honest about where we needed to work to improve in the future.

I decided to take that concept and have a similar time of reflection for the Southeast Region MSTA Executive Committee at our January meeting last night. When I emailed the members of the committee to remind them of the meeting, I asked that they each begin thinking about something (personal or professional) that they could share during that time. Once I started concentrating on the agenda and trying to finish the meeting in a timely manner, I forgot all about the reflection time. At 7:30, I adjourned the meeting and thought the night was over. Then one of our field reps reminded me that I had overlooked part of my plan.

When I originally considered the share time, I almost backed out, thinking no one would want to participate. Why would they want me prying into their personal and professional lives? They are volunteers, serving on a committee, meeting every other month to make decisions concerning the regional organization. What business do I have asking them to reflect on 2006 and make plans for 2007? When the night was over, I understood that the entire exercise was not at all about me leading a time of reflection - it was about God showing up in a group of nine teachers and touching their lives.

As we went around the table, we shared personal burdens, health concerns, family issues, financial decisions and career challenges. We had plenty to be thankful for - don't get me wrong. We weren't having a pity party for ourselves. God provided in big ways in 2006 - from new babies to spiritual breakthroughs; support at work to reaffirmation in leadership. It is amazing to me, as I sit here thinking back over everything that was shared, how much God did through nine very ordinary individuals in just 365 days.

What I had intended to be a five-to-ten-minute time of sharing turned into forty-five minutes of building relationships. I'm quite sure that at no point in our lives will any of us look back on January 8, 2007, and say, "I wish we would have left forty-five minutes earlier," but from time to time we will all look back and say, "remember when we sat around that table and shared life together? Remember that struggle you were facing? How are you doing? Remember what I was concerned about last year? Look what God has done in my life since then."

How many times do we look at our professional lives as an obligation to get the work done, without any thought to the struggles and victories of the people we are working with? Sharing life together is as simple as asking a group of nine people to share one thing they're thankful for and one challenge they face. God may not bless all the time that you invest in turning a profit, making a name for yourself, or being the leader of the pack. But I know that He will bless every second that you spend investing in others.