I noticed that Write Integrity Press set their focus for the year as Joy. What a GREAT idea. And imagine my surprise and delight when my Dear Boy wrote about this very thing on his blog!
Joy can be such a misconstrued concept. With so much input, I had to chime in! Continue reading
The Apostle Paul had some specific instructions on how to assign The End to a project. He spoke about running and finishing the race throughout his letters. Luke attributed a quote to Paul as well in Acts, and the writer of Hebrews also encouraged us to remember the cloud of witnesses who look on as we stay on our course.
“Run (the race) in such a way as to get the prize…not…running aimlessly”—1 Cor. 9:24-26
As a writer, I’m always wanting to get those ultimate words on the paper, but that isn’t the end of my manuscript – not if I’m serious about my career. My manuscript demands 10 times as much effort to rewrite, revise, and edit the story into a publishable piece.
My family and I experienced the same type of situation when we felt the Lord’s urging for us to leave the church that had been home for 23 years. Unwilling to let any of our friends build up anger in our stead, we stayed for a couple of months after the decision was made so we could ease out quietly.
The same is true of large projects like the prom I helped to direct this past weekend. In spite of the weariness we all shared, when the prom came to an end at 1AM, it wasn’t over for us. We continuted until dawn tearing down all of the sets and packing it onto trailers and trucks. The next day we unloaded those same trucks and packed our storage units carefully until next year’s prom. But we’re still not done. We have several loose ends to tie up and a concluding meeting where we’ll analyze what worked and what didn’t and how we can improve things for next year.
All I want to do is put it behind me and move on to other parts of my life, but ending well takes energy and attention.
The same is true of my Christian walk. Growing in knowledge of the Lord doesn’t end until He brings me into His presence. Desire to build my relationship with Jesus should never ebb and my need to spend time with Him is more intense when I’m busiest. What else can be said on this?
A golfer’s or a hitter’s swing has success based on the follow-through. Planning is nothing without putting the plan into action. The race doesn’t end until the toilet paper is broken or the checkered flag waves. So don’t give up. Don’t let down.
Press on. Press on. Press on!
Marji Laine 