Weigh In 44

This week we instituted "Daddy Date Night" with my 3 daughters. I got to see "Eclipse" and then "Despicable Me" twice. It was great to spend not just the "quality" time with them but also the "quantity" time.

There is a definite difference in the two types of time with people. For years, I bought into the idea that time spent on relationships could be optimized for efficiency. I did it consciously at work once I moved into formal management roles. I did it, albeit less often, sub-consciously with non-work relationships.

I lumped "relationships" in the same bucket as any other work or project items. They were all just a list of tasks to be accomplished. As efficiently as possible...

It took a little while after my oldest kids got to the age where they were interacting more and more before I realized that this "quality" vs "quantity" idea didn't really work. I noticed, with a lot of help from my beautiful wife, that they weren't really as interested in what we were doing as much as they were in the fact that we were together.

You have to put in the time. You can't just show up for the important things. All of the in between times are where the real importance is.

So, thinking over the week and the time with the girls I was reminded of chapter 15 of the gospel of John. In that part of the Bible, Jesus tells a parable about the vine and the branch (think about growing grapes).

I am the true grapevine, and my Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch of mine that doesn't produce fruit, and he prunes the branches that do bear fruit so they will produce even more. You have already been pruned and purified by the message I have given you. Remain in me, and I will remain in you. For a branch cannot produce fruit if it is severed from the vine, and you cannot be fruitful unless you remain in me.   "Yes, I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who remain in me, and I in them, will produce much fruit. For apart from me you can do nothing. (John 15:1-6, NLT)

In essence, this says to me that our relationship with Christ, and therefore God, has more to do with "quantity" instead of "quality" time. That is, if we will stay focused on Jesus in our day-to-day, we will become more like Him. And that really is the goal, I think - becoming more Christ-like.

Accomplishments and efficiency are things that we came up with in our Western cultures. They don't seem to have so much importance in the teachings of Jesus. And that says a lot right there.

So, I'm renewing my efforts to be relationship focused instead of solely task focused. I'd like to ask you, if you know me, to help hold me accountable on this.

Speaking of accountability, there is a weigh in to discuss. Friday morning, the scale showed me:

236.0

No change this week. A little disappointing on one hand but still better than gaining anything. I'm still looking for more donors/pledges to get us to the matching funds. We're still at $155 this week. When we get to $210 we'll unlock the first $210 in matching funds. Then we'll need another $210 in pledges to open up another $210 matching.

Can you help us raise funds for Love146.org to help in the fight against human trafficking and modern day slavery?

Photo credit to lyng883.