Prophet Priest King II

By Keith Hoffman
My family and I were enjoying an evening of dining and visiting with friends. While my wife
chatted with Mary, Skip and I discussed the economy, world events, and business. As the
evening floated by, our discussion drifted towards family. Skip then said something that
captured my attention, for it related closely to my own experience. Even though he spoke in
passing, his words dripped with insight.
“My oldest son will be finished with school in 12 months. In 15 months, he will move out of the
house forever. He will never live with us again. I won’t know what he is doing, and he really
won’t care; he will have a life of his own. I know this, but just yesterday, I arrived home from
work, ate a quick meal, and then went out to the yard and pulled weeds. After that, I washed
the car and cleaned up the garage. When night fell, I went inside, gave the kids a hug, and
went to bed. Another day passed and I spent perhaps all of eight minutes with my son. I am so
obsessed with the urgent that I lose sight of the important.”
I tried to encourage Skip, assuring him that being aware of the problem is half of the battle.
Skip responded with an openness and honesty that I have come to appreciate and admire, “It
may be half of the battle, but it is only half, and it is a battle.”
Skip was right. Beyond his words, I understood exactly what he meant. The “important”
meant being a vital part of his son’s life. “Important” meant using the limited time he has while
his children live at home to shape and prepare them for life. “Important” meant fulfilling his role
as a father in dimensions beyond being the breadwinner and caretaker of their property.
“Important” meant doing the things that affect not only the lives of his children, but also those
of generations to come.
Skip’s words resonated within me, because I, too, had the same sense that I was not fully
discharging my intended role as father. Like Skip, I am a conscientious provider, faithful and
loving husband, and loving parent. We make a concerted effort to do things together as a
family. Being with my wife and children is essential, and I realize that important modeling takes
place while we are together. Even so, I sensed that spending time together in and of itself is
not the answer. Deep within my being, awareness of a calling stirred my soul. It is this dull
sense of the need to be intentional, at least some of the time, which remained largely
unfulfilled.
As I reflected back on Skip’s words and my own struggle with tending to the important, I
realized that the struggle was not so much between the urgent and the important as with
knowing what to do about the important. I had a passion for my family, but not an agenda. I