"Finish Something, Nancy!"

Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected; but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me. Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. Philippians 3:12-14

After the Liberian Civil War started there was a year in which we were in limbo (1990-91) before we went to the Ivory Coast to work among the war refugees. During that time God opened a door for  Mark to help to put together equipment for mission radio stations. It was a perfect situation for us while we were in flux.

Mark and me at McCoy's Valentine banquet in 1991. 

We loaded up the car and moved to Elkhart, Indiana. There we lived in McCoy Memorial Baptist's beautiful missionary guest house. The wonderful people of the church  invited us into their homes and their lives, being very good to us at a time we desperately needed friends and stability.

When it was time for us to leave for refugee work in Africa various church ladies helped us pack up the house, a task not for the faint hearted. After eight months we had thoroughly moved in. Thoroughly. And because at that point in my life I was really into sewing and crafts, I had the messes from projects scattered around the house. John-Mark, Melodie and Nathan, ages eight, six and four, had their own messes.

A friend who was a professional house cleaner was helping me pack one day and watched me flutter from packing the sewing stuff to packing clothes to packing bathroom supplies. Finally, in exasperation, she looked at me and said in an authoritative tone, "Nancy, finish something!" Startled, I looked around and immediately understood her point. I was doing twenty things at the same time and not doing any of them well.

That encounter has really helped me. Often when I am doing something around the house and getting distracted again and again, I will mentally say, "Nancy, finish something!" This keeps me on task at least a few minutes!

And the principle has affected my ministries as well. I have come to realize if I scatter myself too thin—trying to do many different things just because I enjoy them or they are valid ministries—I may get something accomplished, but it is unlikely I will do anything well.

Instead I have asked God to give me direction and He has been faithful to do just that. When I prioritize what God is asking me to do instead of getting sidetracked with good things I could be doing, I am able to obey my very helpful friend's firm advice and, by God's grace, "Finish something!"

Image stockx.change by TekToNic

See "Hey! I'm Mr. Potato Head!" and Other Possible Untruths.
See Breaking Out of the Hate Cycle.
See Why "Casual Christianity" Misses the Point.