“Patience is the ability to idle your motor when you feel like stripping your gears.” ~ Barbara Johnson
I could hardly sleep last night as I thought about all the unfinished projects and work I have. It’s perplexing and overwhelming at times; there is the ceiling in the garage that needs to be patched; the parking light that is burned out on my truck, the garden lights that quit coming on like they are supposed to at night; the leak in the spa, and the list goes on…
Most of these jobs are not crucial and require a number of steps to complete; so procrastination is an issue because they are involved and sometimes tedious. Other nagging projects are expensive or technically challenging and need an expert to perform them. And then there is the time required which I usually just don’t have very much of. So my life is full of unfinished projects!
I was thinking about this in relationship to Christ. Remember when he was on the cross of crucifixion and uttered the words “it is finished?” That was a project He had been working on for thousands of years if not longer; since we know it was in His heart from the foundation of the world. Then there is the promise that He will come back after He has prepared a place for us. He is still working on that promise made 2000 years ago.
Here is an interesting question to consider: Is God bothered by projects that are left undone until He can complete them? Probably not in the same way we are. He has all the resources we lack and it is not about know-how or procrastination either; it’s much more involved. For God it’s about timing and blending all that He is doing into one consistent and perfect plan – Awesome isn’t it!
So when you wonder why God doesn’t just do something the instant you ask Him to, remember who you are talking to and what is involved. For God it is about the end result and not our instant gratification. God always achieves His goals perfectly; but not necessarily in what we would call a timely manner. He gets the job done but finishes His work in His way and His time; not ours. The good part is that He can be trusted and never makes a mistake. So rest easy tonight. God always finishes what He starts!
“Although the goodness of God may sometimes be hidden, it can never be extinguished." ~ John Calvin
