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| Nancy Bates Photography |
The pack of cards were gray and black, with this bold writing finished in little red highlights. He held them in his hand like a casino dealer. He had a smirk on his face. When it comes to games he's the ultimate productivity guy. He somehow manages to building legos before school, take notebooks to bed to draw angry birds, leaves his backpack on the front porch because getting in the door faster and onto a project is obviously more important. When we hang out during Abbey's piano on Mondays he manages to draw a coloring sheet, read a book, and play a game of battleship with me during the short half hour lesson. He's the ultimate at productivity. In many ways, I'm quite jealous.
I told him, "No." I said:" We're getting ready to head out for school. I'm packing lunches. We're going to eat breakfast. Then we're going to load up in the car and head to school. Cool?" "Yeah," he said, "cool dad."
I read many blogs about leadership. Almost all of them push the idea of productivity. "We are to be people who are productive," they proclaim. In fact, just for fun, you should search twitter for two words: Leadership and Productivity. Everybody and their mother is talking about it. Everyone has an answer, a method, a free online book if you sign up for their podcast. Yes, I think we should be productive. Yes, I think we should be concerned with the schedule of our lives. In fact, a good question is: are we producing at our full capacity? But, there's something more.
During breakfast Ethan asks me again to play the card game. The pack is sitting next to his cereal bowl. I tell him, "Well, we're still eating breakfast, reading the Bible, and everyone's here...so now's not a good time to play cards. But, if you want to bring them into the car you can. Cool?." "Yeah, cool dad."
So he did. In fact, when it was time to go he ran to the car (which he never does), put his backpack in the front seat (which he never does), buckled his seat belt (which he also never does), shuffled the cards and dealt me my hand of seven cards before I could even get my little black honda started. "Here's your cards dad." I looked at the small stack of grey and black cards and thought: I guess I'm playing cards on the way to school. "Do you want to go first or do you want me to go first," he asked. "I think you should go first," I said. "Ok, do you have a nine of hearts?" The game begins and we drive on Sandy Boulevard, with a view of downtown Portland, heading to school, passed the commuters with their phones and schedules and NPR radios blaring.
Just before God gives the ten commandments to his people He tells them: "You yourselves have seen what I did to the Egyptians, and how I bore you on eagles' wings and brought you to myself. Now therefore, if you will indeed obey my voice and keep my covenant, you shall be my treasured possession among all peoples, for all the earth is mine; and you shall be to me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation. These are the words that you shall speak to the people of Israel.” Exodus 19:4-6
In other words: before all your doing, ahead of all your striving, in front of all your works...is me, the God of the universe; and before you accomplish anything, send an email, read a book, or fire up the lawn mower you are made to be people who rest in the wing of my character and love. Our value comes not in our producing but in the identity we receive as the children of God; he's called us his own.
Productivity is the subquestion, not the first question. Before we ask the productivity question, there is a deeper relational question: Are we the people of God? Are we made in the image of God? Has he called us his own, making us his children? Productivity comes from God himself, who didn't waste time creating his new world, making humanity, and giving us a purpose to the life we live.
In other words: before all your doing, ahead of all your striving, in front of all your works...is me, the God of the universe; and before you accomplish anything, send an email, read a book, or fire up the lawn mower you are made to be people who rest in the wing of my character and love. Our value comes not in our producing but in the identity we receive as the children of God; he's called us his own.
Productivity is the subquestion, not the first question. Before we ask the productivity question, there is a deeper relational question: Are we the people of God? Are we made in the image of God? Has he called us his own, making us his children? Productivity comes from God himself, who didn't waste time creating his new world, making humanity, and giving us a purpose to the life we live.
So I drive to school, with a cup of coffee in one hand, two eyes on the road, and a question for my son, "Do you have a jack of clubs?" "No dad! You already asked me that!" he laughs and hands me a card from the deck as I reach back into the back seat to touch hands with the boy who is made in my image.
