The Most Important Thing

The other day, my wife and I decided to sleep in. The kids woke up and came running into our room. They jumped into our bed and we snuggled and wrestled and we were simply together. Quite a while later, we all crawled out of bed and went to the park. We swung on swings and played, we met new friends, and we had fun.

By some standards, we accomplished nothing. Our day ended with to-do lists just as full as they were when the day began. We did no work, no ministry; we did not achieve any of the things that we normally prioritize. My wife and I talked that night and we decided that, despite the neglect of our lists, we achieved the most important thing—connection.

It can be so easy to get lost in the sea of important things that we need to get done. We forget to look at things like family play-time or cooking breakfast as productive. Sometimes we come home from a day of playing at the park and we feel as if our day has been wasted. It hasn’t. You may not have gotten through your list of chores and business, but you’ve done something far more important. You’ve made an investment into long lasting connection with your family.

Are your children on your to-do list? Is connection with your family just as important as all the other things that you need to get done in a day? I challenge you, put your family at the top of your list and see what happens next.