I recently
played in a charity golf tournament with my dad. On a weekday.
During a busy time at work. It
was a beautiful day. Despite the flooded
sand traps, and having to keep the carts on the path, and losing 14 balls, and
heading back to the office to address a few things after the round was over, it
was still a great time. I haven’t done
that in years.
Growing up
my dad worked ridiculously long hours.
Our business is real estate, and most of my childhood memories go back
to the boom of the 80’s. The trade-off
of the long hours was that there were always banks, partners, and vendors who
took him golfing. During nice weather, I’m
sure he was on the course once a week. I
guess that’s a fair trade for 80+ hours in the office.
In reality,
the long hours and hard work were invested more for the payoff of financial security than for golf outings. He made a good living, and
we were blessed. I have continued the
family business and am a full-time Real Estate Broker. I’m one of the crazy few who specialize in
commercial & residential & land.
That means I have to keep normal daytime hours in the office for our
commercial clients, work nights and weekends with our residential clients, and
also be ready to visit a vacant site in any season.
Why am I
telling you this? #1 – You’re a captive
audience, and I’ll take a little free marketing anywhere I can get it! But seriously, #2 – Even though the golf
outings are few and far between now, I do work hard for the simple trade-offs
of a little relaxation when I can get it.
My biggest goal for my off-hours is to spend time with those I love the
most. My family.
This
weekend, I’m looking forward to a 3-day break, spent camping in the woods. It’s easily been a month since I’ve taken a
full day off. I’m looking forward to 3
of them in a row. When’s the last time
you had even a single day off without checking emails? That’s why my off-time so often involves
locations with poor cell reception. I
want to find some uninterrupted time to focus on my loved ones whenever I can
get it.
Most years I
can squeeze in maybe 2 cumulative weeks of vacation. I always try to force at least one full,
unbroken week, and always spend it with my wonderful family. 50 weeks of working hard is the price for the
payoff of 2+/- weeks to fully and completely enjoy the company of those I love
most.
I don’t say
any of this to appear a martyr or as some workaholic. I say it, because I think most of you can
relate. I don’t think I am the
exception, but am more the norm. And
whether you’re working hard to be able to afford a beautiful house, comfort
& security, or just because you’re motivated to get to those days when you
can take OFF (be it vacation or retirement), I think many of us can agree that
more time & effort is spent in the WORKING than it is in the ENJOYING. The payoff doesn't quite seem proportionate.
And that
brings me to my point. I’ll work hard
for a month in order to get 3 wonderful days with my family. I’ll work hard for 50 weeks, in order to get
just 2 weeks to completely focus on my loved ones. Even if you’re working hard for 45 years, in
order to get 20 years of retirement, God is offering us so much more. God is asking us to work hard for 80 years of
life (your mileage may vary), in order to get AN ETERNITY of absolute ecstasy. If we work the short years of our lives on
this earth, we are going to get to spend billions and billions of years with Him
in heaven. Those are some pretty amazing
odds, and an infinitely amazing payoff.
Whether your
burden for today is in an office, on a jobsite, flying somewhere, surrounded by
kids, running errands, or anything else…can you make it through today’s
difficulties, with the simple knowledge that you’re going to get a paycheck on
Friday, or a day off on Monday, or a vacation next summer? If so, how easy should it be to make it
through just one lifetime of faithfulness, in order to be able to enjoy WONDERS
THAT WE CAN’T EVEN IMAGINE…forever.
FOREVER!
Are you
working for a big, comfortable house now?
The dwelling place the Lord has prepared for us is beyond our comprehension! Plus, I understand he was a pretty good
carpenter, so I’ll bet the millwork is awesome.
Are you working hard just to get to the days where you can relax, and
enjoy your loved ones? In heaven, we will
be rejoined with all of the beloved faithful, and we’ll experience His amazing
love as well. If we can rationalize putting
in our worldly work on earth for the small payoff we see in return, then we
should easily be able to run towards the spiritual work we’re called to,
knowing that God’s reward for us is so huge.
Whatever
else you do today, make sure that you're working for the good Boss, and keeping His teachings as your mission statement. If you put in a (relatively) short time working
for Him, you’ll get to vacation with Him for the rest of eternity. And you’ll be fully vested in a benefits
package that is beyond your wildest dreams!
Written By: Matt Buehrig
Inspired By: Time With My Family
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