Kelly and I were driving home from church today, separately from the girls, and talking about how proud we are of them. They make me want to bust my buttons regularly. (No surprise to you weary of my brags on social media. Imagine what its going to be like when I have grandkids!)

Isn’t it interesting how much we enjoy what we’ve produced. Kel and I really, really enjoy our children. We like looking at them. We like just being in the room where they are. We’re proud of them.

Similarly, Kelly enjoys her lawn and flowers. She mows, trims, grooms and nurtures about 4 acres every week, and when she’s done she sets back, sighs deeply, and inhales pleasure from what she’s done.

I enjoy growing vegetables in the garden. I get a kick out of sitting by the garden late in the day and enjoying the lush succulence of the vines loaded with produce. And, I enjoy a kitchen countertop loaded with tomatoes. They represent accomplishment or abundance of some sort to me.

Whether its kids, flowers, vegetables, a beautiful piece of art, or whatever your life’s production is, isn’t it interesting how much we enjoy what we’ve produced?

I deduce that God designed us to be productive and creative. When we create and produce, we’re like him. He produced the earth, the trees, the flowers, the animals, and man, and after every production He stepped back and said “it is good.” After man was created He actually said “It is very good!”

God enjoyed his production!

He then gave the first man, Adam, the job of tending the garden—-a responsibility that leads to productivity—-and commanded Adam and Eve to “be fruitful and multiply.” That’s certainly (re) productive.

So, here’s the big point: God made you and me to be like Him—productive—and when we are being productive we experience the pleasure that God experienced which caused him to say “it is good!”

There’s a time to produce, and a time to rest from producing; like God did. Great contentedness comes from being able to look at your children, your art, your flower bed, the book you’ve written, the shelves you organized, or whatever, and derive internal pleasure and deep satisfaction from what you’ve produced.

I’m grateful to be a producer. Grateful for the ability, and the opportunity, and the blessing of God on my efforts. And I’m deeply satisfied.

I wish for you my friend, the same sense of satisfaction.