Wednesday, September 28, 2011

From Starter to Finisher

I’m a great Starter.

I have books with bookmarks carefully marking the last time I opened the book – months ago.

I have a garage full of tiles, all measured with a new tile saw and glue. The kitchen floor still has the old lineoleum, dirty looking, torn on the edges.

I have big ideas for books, articles and studies that fill notebooks. I’ve sold a million copies – in my mind.

At work I have initiatives, projects and enhancements, all scribbled on pieces of paper on the left-hand side of my desk. My boss hired me because I was driven, but I’ve pulled off to the slow lane.

I have a flower garden tilled and fertilized, but barren of any plant life.

I have friendships that I launched with a dinner or an activity. We laughed and shared, connecting in ways that only God instills. But they langish with inattention.

Starters are great at the gun, but they never finish the race

We all know the difference between big talking and big doing and anything in between we find ways to justify.

Thinking creatively is one of God’s gifts that He gave me. I recognize the responsibility that accompanies that, and am just now grasping the need to turn those thoughts into deeds. To be an idea guy is great, but it’s wholly unfair to let others do the hard lifting while I dream another dream.

Anyone can be a Starter. I want to be a Finisher.
"What makes our labor holy, what makes it eternal, is not just the work but the state of our hearts while performing that work. When we comprehend that truth, then we realize washing dishes is as significant to the Kingdom as operating on a patient; driving a truck is as eternally triumphant as leading a company. Then, even in the zig-zags of our careers, when life seems more random than ordered, when it feels like we're running in thick mud with heavy boots, we can rest in the knowledge we're serving God as we labor faithfully and diligently."

-- Randy Kilgore, Made to Matter