“being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.”
When I was a kid, my mom drove this big old boat of a station wagon. There was always a gaggle of kids to trek all over the place and that old station wagon had more than enough room for us all. As the years went on, the station wagon began to look like it had seen better days. There was a dent in the side from a camping trip mishap and the hood began to lose its paint – making it look all splotchy.
One day, I came home to find a giant bandaid painted across the hood, with the words, “He’s still working on me” carefully lettered underneath. My siblings and I were mortified! We began sliding down in our seats as we made our way through town, hoping to avoid the sideways glances and laughter of those who observed our “chariot” out on the open road. My mom loved it, though! She smiled and gladly talked about how that old car was just like her…a little worse for wear in some places because of the journey, but that even though she may appear rough on the outside in places, thankfully God had a plan for her and he wasn’t quite done with her, yet! What a great lesson…even though I didn’t think so when I was kid!
There are days when I think that I am a hopeless case. I make the same mistakes over and over again to varying degrees and I cannot figure out why I just don’t learn. I would bet you have days like those, too. Days when it seems all too obvious that the journey has taken its toll, and your imperfections shine as brightly as that giant bandaid on my mom’s car, out there for everyone to see.
Today’s verse reminds me that I am a masterpiece in progress – even if I look a little rough at times. It makes me think of those signs you see when there is construction in a store or restaurant that says, “Please excuse our mess, work in progress.” Hang a big ‘ol sign around my neck because I fit that bill! Thankfully, our God loves us so much that he is carefully crafting us into the person He has created us to be one day at a time. He is ever faithful to see me through to completion. Continue to seek His will for your life and rest in that promise today.
