Sharpening the Saw

Yesterday, as I mentioned in my previous post, I got two or less hours of sleep before leading our 3rd Tuesday Truth At Work group that morning. I arrived back to my office around 12:30 and tried to catch up on some stuff that came up while I was away the prior few days. I really wanted to get caught up.

However, it seemed I just couldn't get much done. I felt like I was running in quicksand and getting nowhere fast. So, I decided to take a nap.

I then went to a production my son was involved in at school last night and came home and immediately went back to bed and had a great night's sleep.

Today, I had another Truth At Work group to lead and I am now in my office making some nice headway on my tasks.

Stephen Covey's seventh habit in The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People is Sharpen the Saw. He says that we must rest or refresh in order to be most effective. This is obviously a Biblical principle as well (see the 10 commandments). In the book, he tells the following story:

He's walking through the woods and he hears a sawing noise. He investigates and finds a guy sweating profusely as he tries to cut down a tree. He says to him, "What are you doing?"

The man replies, "I'm cutting down this tree, you dummy!"

Stephen says, "No, I mean, it looks like you have been working hard. How long have you been at this?"

"Two hours."

"Why don't you take some time to sharpen the saw? It will make things go much faster and easier."

"I don't have time to do that--I've got to get this tree cut down!"

Yesterday afternoon when I was trying to get my work done, I had the same attitude as that tree cutter. I could have worked for hours without getting much done. What I really needed was to sharpen my saw which in my case was getting some sleep.

How sharp is your saw?

For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, but he rested on the seventh day.

Exodus 20:11a

Renewal

This past weekend, my wife Connie and I spent some time together at Kelleys Island on Lake Erie. We stayed at a cozy bed and breakfast and had an absolutely awesome time. Lots of relaxation and reconnection for us. Lots of time spent in Adirondack chairs on the stone platform above, listening to the waves and watching the sun set. It truly was a time of renewal in our marriage.

This was scheduled right in the middle of perhaps my busiest time in my life (see previous posts about Truth At Work). Yet it was wonderful. I didn't even bring my laptop to check messages!

I was reminded that I need to schedule more times like this to "sharpen my saw", especially when I am busy.

Sharpening the Saw

The 7th habit Stephen Covey writes of in The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People is sharpening the saw.

In the book, he talks of walking through the forest and coming upon a guy who is cutting down a tree. The guy is sweating profusely and is really struggling. You ask, "How long have you been doing this?"

The man says, "Oh, I've been doing this for hours!"

"Why don't you sharpen your saw? It will go a lot faster."

He replies, "I don't have time to do that! I need to cut this tree down right away!"

I don't know about you, but I can relate to the guy cutting down the tree. I don't relax very well sometimes--as a result, I don't sharpen my saw.

However, when I'm on vacation, relaxation comes easy for me. No lawn to mow, no bills to pay, no mail to open. Only laying around, playing with my kids, reading and maybe even taking a nap. Sharpening the saw.

Well, that's what I'm doing this week. Vacation with the family. Great stuff. As a result, I probably won't be posting much this week.

Make it a great week!

A Magical Night

On Friday, our family of 5 went to Detroit to Comerica Park to watch the Tigers take on the Colorado Rockies. The entire evening could not have been better.

First, we arrived in Detroit just after a huge rain storm and we remained dry the remainder of the night.

Second, though we were the second row from the top of the stadium, we had great seats close to home plate.

Third, the Tigers played great and won 7-1.

Fourth, the fireworks after the game were incredible.

Fifth, and probably most important, we had a blast together as a family. I kept thanking God for this night. With my two oldest girls now 20 and almost 18, I was wondering how many more moments like this we would get to share as a family.

I did not hear one complaint or any bickering between our kids the whole evening (Connie and I were a different matter – ha ha). They got along so well and we all laughed often.

Perhaps the highlight of the trip was our ride home late in the evening. We were all tired and a little punchy so we started telling “no arms and no legs” jokes. Yes, this sounds somewhat heartless. I can assure you we meant no disrespect to those with disabilities. We were simply having fun…and a lot of it. So if you are disgusted that we would say such things, please don’t read any further.

Here is a sampling of some of the jokes we told and made up on our ride home:

What do you call a guy with no arms and no legs…

…in the ocean? Bob

…hanging on the wall? Art

…in the mailbox? Bill
…on the front door step? Matt
…in a bun? Frank
…riding a bicycle? Rex (think about it)
…in a pile of leaves? Russel
…in a pot of boiling water? Stu

This is just a small sampling. But the greatest part of it all was the laughter that was shared among us. What a gift! Thank you Lord!