Unfinished Business

 "Tomorrow is always fresh with no mistakes in it," Anne Shirley said. 

"No mistakes in it yet," her teacher added. 

Though maybe not an exact quote, I've long remembered those wise 
words from one of the memorable scenes in Anne of Green Gables.  

It's true. Even though the day or year is new, we don't step into them 

empty-handed. 

I brought along some unfinished projects, others untouched and a list 

of undone good intentions. I carry them with me in hopes that this will 

be a year of doing. A year of finishing one thing and starting another.   

Write the last chapter of my book.

Twenty chapters written, edited and rewritten several times. Only one 

chapter pending, so why is it the hardest to write? You'd think a project 
95% done would be a breeze to complete. 

Start the series, yeah the one I've left on the back burner for years. 
Though it hasn't taken shape yet, it also hasn't faded. The concept still 
calls to me and therefore I believe God has a purpose for it.   

Send a picture to a little girl in India. 

We send support each month to help care for 9-year-old Yamunamma.
I've been meaning to send her a picture of our family and still haven't. 
How lame is that? 

Thankfully, God even tells us what to do about our lame neglect.

       "Strengthen the hands which hang down and the feeble knees, and make 
       straight paths for your feet, so that what is lame may not be dislocated but 
       rather be healed" (Hebrews 12:12, 13).

By God's design, strength only comes by doing. And yet we don't do it 

in our own strength. When The Lord sent Zechariah to convince the 

Jews to finish building the temple, He reminded them, and us, how to 

get things done.

     
       "Not by might nor by power but by My Spirit says the Lord" (Zech. 4:10). 

The new Temple looked so much less than the elaborate one built by Solomon, the one Babylon destroyed. Even so, they set aside their
discouragement and picked up their hammers. In obedience to God 
they finished the simple Temple. Little did they know that Jesus 
would one day stand within those walls and fill the place with His 
glory and grace.  

We don't know which simple works of our hands God will use for His 
glory. We do know the enemy still throws discouragement at God's children. Whether 5% into the project or 95%, the devil pushes to 
stop our progress. What an excellent reason to pick up our hammers 
( i.e. laptop, pen, or camera) and get back to work.

Now if you'll excuse me, I have some unfinished business to do.