Midweek Encouragement - "Rocks, Pebbles, and Sand”

“Rocks, Pebbles, and Sand”

             ^{I’m sure you’ve probably seen this analogy done as part of a children’s chat somewhere, but the principle still applies to our daily lives. Take a bucket and put as many rocks in it as you can. Then, put in as many pebbles as you can. Finally, place in that bucket as much sand as will fill in around the pebbles. Now imagine what would happen if you did that in reverse! You start with the sand, then put a few pebbles on top, and then there wouldn’t be any room for rocks.}

         ^{What this illustration is really about is time management. The rocks are what you and I absolutely have to get done each week. If you don’t do a rock in your business, family life, or spiritual life, things will fall apart. Each rock is critical. A rock has the greatest return on your investment.}

         ^{Pick two rocks in different areas of your life: career, spiritual life, relationships, your health, and your faith community. Block those items on your calendar.}

         ^{Now, decide what other activities you need to do, but it’s not the end of the world if they don’t get done. Those are the pebbles. Put those in your calendar, too.}

         ^{Everything else is sand. Let the sand fill in only around what you’ve already blocked out on your schedule each week.}

         ^{Christ-followers who are living with God’s purpose in mind decide what the rocks in their lives are for each day, each week, each month, each year, and for their whole life. Doing this will help keep you focused on His purpose and be proactive, rather than being reactive and doing the urgent but not the important items.}

         ^{Average Christ-followers do it backward . . . like they do with most activities in life. They allow the sand to come in, hustle to put in a few pebbles, and usually have no room left for the rocks.}

         ^{Let me encourage you to choose one day each week to decide what your rocks, pebbles, and sand are going to be. Maybe Sunday evening would be a good time for you to sit down and do your Rocks, Pebbles, and Sand. Whatever day of the week is best for you to do this, take one hour and identify two rocks in each of those major areas of your life for the next week and put them on your calendar. Then identify several pebbles in each of those areas for the next seven days of your life. Now, you’re good to go. Now you know where you’ll be investing your life with God’s plan in mind.}

         ^{Remember: Not everything has the same return on the investment of your time. Prioritize those activities you have to do in three levels: Rocks – the essentials . . . Pebbles – things that need to be done . . . and Sand – the everyday things. Oh, by the way . . . don’t be afraid to get the input of others regarding those Rocks in your life. Someone else may have some wisdom about whether those rocks are really the rocks.}

         ^{About 100 years ago, Charles Schwab, the famous president of Bethlehem Steel, wanted to increase his personal efficiency and the efficiency of key people in his company. Ivy Lee, a highly respected “efficiency expert” approached Schwab and said, “I can increase your people’s efficiency and your sales if you’ll allow me to spend just 15 minutes with each of your executives.”}

         ^{Mr. Schwab asked how much that would cost, and Lee told him, “Nothing, unless it works. After three months, you can send me a check for whatever you feel it’s worth to you.” That was an offer Schwab couldn’t refuse. The next day, Lee met with Schwab’s top executives, spending just 15 minutes with each person and saying the exact same thing each time.}

         ^{He asked them to promise him that for the next 90 days, each evening before they left their offices, they would make a list of the six most important things they had to do the next day and number them in order of their importance. Lee told each person to scratch the item off their list when they finished and if they didn’t get it done that day, move it on to the next day’s list. That was all he said. After he spoke with the past employee, he left the offices of Bethlehem Steel and didn’t return again.}

         ^{Three months later, Schwab looked over the results and was so impressed that he sent Lee a check for $35,000! Back then the average American worker was paid $2 per day! Schwab valued Ivy Lee’s contribution to his efficiency 17,500 times that for just a few hours.}

         ^{Friend, what things really matter in your life? What activities need to be put aside so you can accomplish what’s really important?}

^{For those of you who will be in worship at the Mt. Laurel Church of God this coming Sunday, June 30, remember that we’ll be enjoying our annual patriotic service in the sanctuary, followed by our 5th Sunday Covered-Dish lunch in the Large Fellowship Hall.}

^{Pastor Dale}

Pastor Dale (PD) and Pamela his wife are honored to serve the Mt. Laurel Church of God. If this Mid-Week Encouragement has helped you, perhaps it may encourage someone else. Feel free to share this message with anyone you choose. And if you'd like to receive PD's Mid-Week Encouragement, just send an email to (kingdomguy@gmail.com) and I'll accommodate your request.