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Let’s Figure Out What Isn’t Working Part 1

Defining Productivity

Lately Erik and I are measuring our days by a single word “productive”.  Over the past few months, it seems like the definition of “productive” means less and less.  Instead of being a true goal, it is more of a way to make ourselves feel good for even the smallest accomplishment.

For example, productive used to mean booking one or more speaking gigs PLUS getting workday hours in PLUS making time for the kids PLUS getting a homemade dinner prepared and cleaned up.  Now, it may mean as little as making one meal OR pulling the weeds in the garden.  This is NOT a good thing.

The Question of the Day

As a way to fix this issue, I decided that I need to ask myself “What isn’t working?”.  I’m willing to dig deep to find out what it is and how to fix it.  I know the whole world currently has one excuse they can use as an answer to this question but let’s set that one aside for today’s experiment.

A couple of years ago, I recorded how I spent my time for an entire week.  Because of this exercise, I learned that an average of 3 hours of my day was spent in the kitchen.  It was extremely eye opening and caused me to rethink how much time I have in a day for work.  This week, I will once again be recording how I spend my hours each day and assessing them for the answers I desperately need.  I’ll let you know what I discover.

Back to You

If you identify in any way with this issue of “productivity”, let me know in the comments below.  After that, list what you plan to do to figure out an answer to the question “What isn’t working?”  I’m excited to learn what you find out!

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There Will Always Be that SOMEONE

Erik here, Michelle insisted I write this one. A Long Time Ago… I went to a small Christian high school which was about a 30 minute drive from my parents’ home in Minneapolis.  At this stage in my life, my parents were not able to drive me both ways every day.  Bussing was not an option […]

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The Bully in the Beach Chair

A dear friend and spiritual mentor of mine has assured me again and again that God does indeed have a sense of humor or He wouldn’t have created us with that ability.  Makes sense right?

Old View

Many times in my life I have said “God created me for His own entertainment.”  Whenever there are small almost humorous issues such as my daughter being as overly dramatic as her mother or my son almost being born on Tax Day, I have seen God laughing from above.  In slightly larger issues too like when my entire family got lice even though I am a complete clean freak or when flying squirrels were found scurrying around in the attic right after we bought our dream home.

For some reason I pictured Him high above with a soda on a beach chair enjoying every minute of my struggles.  I’m not sure where in the world that came from, maybe too many sitcoms.  Still, the point was that I saw Him as laughing AT me.  This vision did not show a supposedly loving creator who wanted the best for me.  To me it revealed God as a bully who had no intention of carrying me through the rough times but rather basking in the humor that may indeed come from each one.  No wonder I found it so hard to believe He would ever heal me from my epilepsy.

New View

However, lately my perception of God has been changing dramatically.  Oh, God is still laughing, maybe harder than ever.  But I am right there laughing WITH Him as we walk through this crazy world side by side.  When silly things happen or even difficult things such as painful injuries from a recent fall.  I feel a new ability to ask Him to help me find a way to laugh through it and He does.

The man with the beach chair and soda is no more.  Now somehow a kind person full of wisdom with a light heart encourages me to see things here as temporary.  He points out the small things to smile about like new flowers blooming in our yard and the deer that will devour them the next day.  He chuckles at a comment from my ever entertaining kids that sounds a little too much like a quote from Friends they may have overheard when I didn’t know they were listening.

Check for Yourself

Do you see God as laughing WITH you or AT you?  I know too many of us out there still see the bully in the beach chair.  When small yet frustrating things pop up suddenly in your day, do you stay angry and feel like someone must be enjoying your sorrow?  If so, work on changing that picture of the God.  He really will point out the humor in our world and laughs at it WITH you.

Give yourself permission to laugh knowing you are not alone in that sly giggle.  Admit to yourself, the due date you misread for your work report is not the end of the world as we know it.  This change in your understanding of God’s sense of humor may not come quickly or even easily. Still, when you have that new picture of God, I promise you…it will change how you respond to all life’s challenges.

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