First off.  Let me clarify.  The Hunni has said more than 4 wise things.  I just have only written about three of them.

He is a pretty smart guy (he flies a plane, was a math major) and a pretty caring guy (when we fall apart he picks up the pieces, kisses them, and puts them back together.)  He also is quite funny.  But sometimes he is serious.

And he takes seriously the job of raising this guy–Baseball Boy.  Baseball Boy is a pre-teen which means something.  We don’t really know what, but we realize that we are in for a change.  We don’t even really know what change, but we have been given clues that a change is coming–like the realization that in 4 years he will be driving.  Like that in 5 years he will hopefully be heading off to college.  That means we have to make sure all the basics, all the morals, all the goals, all the life lessons are pounded in.  Except that he is too old for any “pounding in.”  He has opinions, thoughts, ideas of his own.

My approach to this timeline is to try and cram in all we can–which doesn’t always work.  Sure we need to work, but just being busy doesn’t necessarily constitute learning.

A few months ago I was loading on the school and the chores and the activities.  “Your job is to WORK!”, I said.

And it was here that The Hunni interrupted me.  “Work is not the goal,” he said to our son Baseball Boy (and me).

That stopped me short!  I thought work WAS the goal.

“Work is not the goal.”, he said.  “The goal is to NOT work, or to be able to stop working”

Now I was really confused. 

“Work is the means to reach the goal.” 

Okay, maybe I am beginning to understand.

“For example, if we put in a new kitchen floor, the goal is not the work of putting in the kitchen floor, but having a finished kitchen floor.  The goal is to get finished.”

Okay, but I thought we worked our kids because it was good for them?”

“Now the most important part of this whole thing is, what are we planning on doing with our free time when the work is finished.”

Now I was beginning to see what The Hunni meant.

Then The Hunni and Baseball Boy talked a little about how to spend free time.  Because how we spend our free time is indicative of our heart.  What is in our heart?  The question is more “What do we want to do with our free time?”  Work is to get us to “free time.  Our heart determines what we do (or want to do) with our free time.

Anyway,  I thought that was wise.  The focus shouldn’t be on “the work”, but on “the heart.”  So here is Wise Saying #4 by The Hunni, “Work isn’t the goal.  Work only gets us to our goals.  Molding the heart is what is important.  What is in our heart?”

Now here is another question.  “What is wrong with this photo?”

Answer:  “Why is Baseball Boy in a baseball outfit while playing soccer?”

Baseball Boy was coaching Eloise’s team.  He loves that role–telling others what to do.

A Prayer:  “Oh LORD, keep his heart.”

“My son, give me thine heart, and let thine eyes observe my ways”  Proverbs 23:26

The Mommi,

–rebecca

Here are the first two post about Wise Sayings if you missed them.

Wise Sayings #1 and #2 by the Hunni

Wise Saying #3 by the Hunni and Mail!