We’ve talked on here before about my hesitance to share personal things about my family online. It’s not that I’m particularly private or don’t want to tell people about my life. I just see so much sharing on social media that comes off as boasting, and I never want anyone to feel like I’m bragging about the blessings God has given me.
At the same time, I do think it’s good to share big life milestones with people I care about. And since that includes all of you, I’d like to announce that my third grandchild, Adley Jo, was born this week! She’s my daughter’s first child, and I could not be happier to welcome her into this world.
I now have three grandchildren, and they’re all gorgeous little girls. What a blessing! I had the honor of raising a daughter and a son, and now I have three granddaughters to love on as they grow up themselves. My hands and my heart are full.
Adley Jo getting to know her Gramps (me) and Grana (my wife Karen). 
My oldest grandchild, Amelia. 
Me holding Caroline.
One commitment I made when my children started having kids of their own was that I would slow down on my work and really take the time to be there for my grandchildren. Last month, my wife and I spent a week in Tennessee visiting with our two other granddaughters, Amelia and Caroline, and I’m spending some precious time with Adley Jo right now.
Again, I say all of that not to brag or to pat myself on the back. These grandchildren are blessings from God, and I’ve done nothing to deserve them. But since God has blessed me with them, it’s important that I prioritize them and make time to invest in them rather than focusing my whole life on business or other things.
This isn’t always easy. When I’m working, it can feel like work is the most important thing in the world. Nothing else matters. I have to force myself into a broader mindset and focus on what’s important in the big picture, not just the here and now.
What is it that I truly care about most? When I’m gone, what do I want to be remembered for? What sort of impact do I want to make? The answers to these questions guide me in choosing what I want to spend my time on.
It’s so natural for us to get distracted by the concerns of everyday life. There’s always something else that needs to be done, always someone else that needs something from us. And if we aren’t careful, we can get sucked into doing what everybody else wants us to do rather than focusing on the things that matter to us.
This is why we have to be so intentional with our time. We have to protect it. We have to set aside time specifically for the things that matter most to us. Otherwise, we’ll get to the end of the day and realize that we’ve wasted every bit of it on the less important things.
Time is a precious resource. And like any other resource, when we give our time to something or someone, we’re investing it. We’re putting our resource into that thing in hopes that our care and attention will bring about good results.
When I invest my time in my grandchildren, I do so in hopes that they will know how much I love them. I want to connect with them, form bonds with them, and let them know that their Gramps is here for them. That’s a good investment if you ask me.
It’s not that work is a bad investment. We all have bills to pay, and we want to contribute our fair share. But if we’re putting all of our time resources into our work and none into our relatonships, then we won’t see the growth and bonding with our family and friends that we so need and desire.
What is it in your life that you want to be investing in? What relationships deserve more of your time investment than you’ve been giving them? What changes do you need to make in order to give those relationships the time and attention they deserve?
We all know that time is limited. Investing in one thing means you have less time to invest in another. That’s why it’s so important that we choose the most important things to invest our time in and then we follow through on actually spending our time on those things.
I hope we’re all doing that. And if you aren’t, I hope you’ll start today. Because our time is precious, and it should be spent on the things that matter to us the most.
Thanks for reading. We’ll talk again soon. Until then…
To your fitness!