A work in progress until completion
“Do not neglect the spiritual gift within you, which was bestowed on you through prophetic utterance with the laying on of hands by the presbytery. 15 Take pains with these things; be absorbed in them, so that your progress will be evident to all.”
1 Timothy 4:14-15
By Bobby R. Henry, Sr.
With each new day we are given another opportunity to get it right.
Making mistakes seems to be the conscious efforts of a warped mind, especially when the slip-ups look as if they are intended and occur most frequently.
Do you ever find yourself engaged in introspective tête-à-tête (a private conversation or interview, usually between two people) but in my case, it’s a three way conversation between me, myself and I and the gist of those conversations is, “When will it ever change for me?”
As bad as it may appear, it could always be worst.
I can remember living in Dayton, Ohio when a leak developed in our roof; it was during the rainy season. I ran down the stairs to the basement to get a bucket to catch the water. When I reached the bottom of the stairs to step onto the floor, my foot found itself in ankle deep water.
With our roof leaking and the basement flooded, I had to sit on the steps and collect myself. Would I cave in to these misfortunes or would I thank God for having a home to have a leaky roof and an unwelcomed pool in our basement?
Needless to say, I chose the latter. This decision was not readily made nor was it at first understandable.
“Why me, Lord, why me”, were my immediate innermost thoughts. That was just one point in my life where, when I look back I realize that God is there before, during and after any circumstances no matter where we are in our considerations.
A lot of times when we think that we are more than what we are, God has a way of reminding us just who we really are and Who is essentially, without a doubt, in charge.
When we believe that we have arrived, it’s at that moment we become conscious of the fact that we never got on the train.
Can you envision what a ghost town might look like-old dilapidated shacks, windblown rubbish throughout the streets and unoccupied dwelling places left to decay?
It’s as if we are unfinished buildings lying in ruins waiting for the designer to complete the final details, a work in progress waiting for the Master Builder.
Now when I find myself in situations where my shortcomings are made obvious for the world to see, I just tell myself that The Master Builder has to come and fix those imperfections. What others see as my inadequacies, He sees as an opportunity to continue the work on one of His Masterpieces.
When manmade disasters such as terrorist attacks, Donald Trump, and propaganda, that burden society to the brink of implosion, get ready there is a work in the progress.
When a study that examines racism in children with the use of Black and White baby dolls comes back with the same results after 33 years, there is something radically wrong with our Black race. This justifies that we as parents are not properly teaching and are presenting the wrong message to our children, the message that Black people are inferior and ugly. Get ready – there is a work in the progress.
When the president of the United States, a descendant of the former slaves who survived the Middle Passage, (the voyage across the oceans that brought slaves to America) began a correction of the wrongs inflicted upon lesser people, there is a work in the progress.
“They were unfaithful and broke their promises. Yet God was kind. He kept forgiving their sins and didn’t destroy them. He often became angry, but never lost his temper. God remembered that they were made of flesh and were like a wind that blows once and then dies down. Psalm 78:37-39 (CEV)
“Until my eyes have closed for the very last time, I shall not fret because I know that God is not through with me yet. I’m a work in progress that has not passed the final test, unfinished, incomplete waiting to be seated at the Master’s feet.” Bobby R. Henry, Sr.
GOD IS THE ARCHITECT OF ALL GOOD THINGS AND HE SETS THE TIME FOR COMPLETION
