Accomplishment is a funny thing, often measured in the oddest of ways. Since Sunday, here's what I have accomplished: I cleaned three handguns, worked out three times, went to a funeral, led men's Bible study, had breakfast with Willie, coffee with Cameron, visited Rick and aunt Kayla in the nursing home, took some friends out to dinner, counseled another friend in distress, bought and installed the brakes on Linda's car, spent time with the hearing aid specialist, mowed the front lawn, watched Izzi's softball game, went to Izzi and Jo's track meet, went clothes shopping with Alex and Abi, had our anniversary dinner with our kids, worked on a sermon, talked with Linda over every breakfast, put out the garbage, wrote these posts. In spite of best intentions, I didn't manage to squeeze in practicing my bassoon or bass.
If by accomplishment we mean tasks that can be measured such as mowing the lawn and fixing the brakes, I didn't get much done this week. Pistols, brakes, lawn--that's it; tasks done, checked off the list. The bulk of the week was spent in activity not so easily measured. What is accomplished when sitting with someone in a nursing home, especially when a stroke has robbed that person of the ability to speak and engage in conversation? What is accomplished watching our grandchildren play ball or run track or shop? As it turns out, much more than we realize. I've seen too many examples of fathers who were so busy accomplishing tasks that the things that really matter suffered.
Tonight sitting around the table at the restaurant, listening to the conversations and enjoying the company of our children, I can say without hesitation that the hours we spent sitting through fifteen years of swim meets, listening to the kids regale us with stories of the day's school shenanigans, canoeing in Algonquin, shopping for auto insurance after the third accident in six months--it was worth it. At any point along the way it would have been nearly impossible to quantify what was being accomplished; people are not tasks to be accomplished, but individuals to be nourished and cherished. Tonight we reaped part of the harvest of many years' worth of sowing seeds of character, loyalty, kindness, forgiveness, and love. What did it all accomplish? A family that loves Jesus Christ and each other, children building into their kids as we did into them. Tonight, I go to sleep thankful once more for the grace of God that has undergirded our entire lives and blessed us beyond measure.
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