Well, our Winter Wonderland is back with about four inches of fresh snow, so I thought it would be a good day to take Pepper, our black Cocker Spaniel dog, for a walk. It was beautiful! I’ve come to realize that some things aren’t as important to some people as they are to others, like getting out into God’s creation to enjoy His beauty but more importantly, His presence; but for me, those times are invaluable.
However, it wasn’t long until I realized that the fluffy white stuff was hiding a solid layer of ice. Anderson Lane is not used much and is rarely completely plowed; so all the rain we had gotten made the road VERY slippery – so much so, that I finally succumbed to gravity. Ice is so unforgiving! It was not a pleasant walk; however, it did accomplish two goals: 1. Exercise (Linda Haught’s voice echoed in my ears as I lifted my knees over the piles of snow on the side of the road!), and 2. I met with God.
As I reviewed my morning, I must say that I had already learned several lessons that I’ll share later; however one rose to the top, and it wasn’t the walk that triggered it.
I’m reading through the Bible this year, using a new plan (you can purchase it for a whopping $.35 at http://store.flpublishers.net/church-resources/bible-reading-plan/bible-reading-plan). It’s very unique and I’d like to use it again, so I made a copy of it so I could scribble on it.
Sometimes I thank God for the brain He gave me, then other times I think of the joke: When God passed out brains, I thought He said trains and I missed mine! I wanted to write the dates on the card, but January first did not hit on a Sunday. This really challenged me. (Maybe I shouldn’t tell you this!) When Tom looked at the card, he asked, “What are all these scribbles?” So, I decided to make a new card this morning AND use pencil!! After about six tries and a LOT of time, I have my card the way I want it! I really wanted to quit! Who cares what day it is!! But it was one of those times when I was determined to finish the job!
Do you have moments or projects like that – they try your patience, and you have a hard time finishing them? One of my favorite quotes is: Character is what it takes to stop you! This was just a small task, but it made me realize how little character I have – I nearly quite several times. Would it have mattered? Only to me – I would have looked at that piece of paper every day and been reminded of my failure.
Finish the job, finish the job, get it done!
Finish the job, finish the job, then have fun;
When you have a task to do – never quit until you’re through.
Finish the job – get it done! (Thank you, Patch the Pirate!)
No matter how big or small, keep at it! (And here’s some of the best advice I’ve ever received: if it takes less than two minutes to do – do it now, then you save yourself a whole lot of time and effort remembering to do it later! THAT was life changing for me!) Keep cleaning, sorting, teaching, spanking, reading, watching, sweeping, listening, caring, loving… the list is endless, but the rewards are often out of this world! Finishing the job often boils down to consistency – an essential ingredient for the parent as well as the dedicated Christian.
Ecclesiastes 9:10 Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might; for there is no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in the grave, whither thou goest.
(I usually only quote the first part, but the older I get, the more the second part speaks loudly!)
Beyond Common Sense 