Work Well Done

This evening by 7:30 I was ready to relax with a book in front of a roaring fire. Dinner had been served and the kitchen was clean. The rest of the house was clean and straightened. Dinner prep for tomorrow's fellowship meal was complete. The day’s list of chores was complete. It was okay to rest.

I was very grateful for the work we had done earlier in the day and even over the last few days. If we hadn’t been diligent before, I would either have been unable to relax or would have done so guiltily. Luscious evenings are not born out of procrastination.

Life is like that. If things are caught up and going well, it is because we previously have been diligent in our work. (It’s usually a short-term reward since most work is a repetitious affair…) Often we covet another person’s opportunities, not realizing that we don’t have those same opportunities because we have not worked for them. (Or it is not yet our harvest season.) If we have not chosen wisely and prepared, we should recognize that and learn from it so we can change. But often we are tempted to get discouraged and give up instead. “I’ve already blown it; what’s the use?” The words, “Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead” come to mind. It’s a lesson from Philippians 3 that I’ve been trying to master for some time now.

It’s true. We cannot relive the past. But we can learn from it. In fact, we are called to learn from it and be continually transformed by the renewing of our minds. We are to grow and change, learning from our mistakes. And so occasionally I get enough right that I get to enjoy a particularly satisfying evening – surrounded by the fruit of labor. It’s an amazing gift of grace. Ahhh.