I was talking to one of my brothers recently whose side passion is creating music. As we listened to some of his new projects, he laughed and made a comment that he’s got about fifty demos but no full-length works yet. Though it was said in jest, I can’t help but feel the statement accurately describes this past year for me: an unfinished project. Wasn’t it just yesterday we rang in 2022? Sure, it was a busy year, but it still feels like my life lately has been full of good intentions with no results. Not that our lives should be measured by results, but I feel a lack of follow-through emanating from everything I touch.
It’s always been this way for me: I’ll get hooked onto something new, jump in full throttle, then leave threads hanging once the initial high has run out. Those who know me personally may find it surprising because I tend to bury the remains of my infatuations in subsequent projects, leaving little evidence of the past. And, as much as I hate to admit it, this pattern trickles out into my relationships with others. Though I don’t intend to, I often commit to things that I have no business committing to. I’ll schedule a coffee date for a day I know is already packed and fail to allow enough time for it in the first place. I’ll plan to attend an event only to cancel last minute because I didn’t account for the exhaustion that comes with having two kids. I’ll volunteer to lead a study when I don’t even have the time to prepare the text ahead of time, leaving me to wing it the day-of.
Thankfully, this isn’t how God operates. In his letter to the Philippian church, Paul writes, “And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ” (Phil. 1:6). Simply put, Jesus’ work was complete the day he died on the cross. We just celebrated the season of Advent, in which we recognize Christ’s coming into the world in the physical form of a human child. At Easter, we remember his purpose for coming: to atone for the sins of all humanity through his perfect sacrifice. Jesus’ journey from Bethlehem to Golgotha makes it possible for us to come before God without fear or shame because we have a Savior who paid the price for our sin. Imagine if Jesus had decided the burden was too much and turned away from his calling while in the Garden of Gethsemane. Where would that leave us today?
God’s plan for the redemption of the world is found in Jesus Christ. And Jesus made sure that plan was executed perfectly so that the work would be completed in us.
Why does that matter to me? Aside from the joy of salvation, because I’m called to be like Christ. And though I can’t live the perfect life as he did, I can follow his example in other ways. I’m called to do all things with excellence and for the glory of God. What kind of witness am I if my life looks like one big ampersand?
In the first post of my recent Advent series, I talked about my struggles following through on my writing over the last couple years. Making the step to be accountable each week was the motivation I needed to meet my goal, which is why I’m re-evaluating my own commitments this year. I want to follow through well on a few things, not begin hundreds that remain undone.
With that being said, I have a few personal goals I want to share simply because doing so makes it harder to turn away when the road gets rough.
Bible in a year–First and foremost, I need to get back to the most important discipline in my life that was sorely neglected in 2022: reading Scripture. I read through the entire Bible in 2021, and it was the most fulfilling interaction with the text I’ve had to date. So, it’s time to begin the habit again since each read-through brings fresh truths to light. My husband and I are also taking on our church’s challenge to memorize 50 Bible verses this year, which will hopefully lead to more than simply reading, but engaging with the word as well.
Reading more books–I know, “more” isn’t very specific, making this goal fail the SMART goal test. But good writers are good readers, and it’s been too long since I enriched my mind with the works of those who have gone before me. I may be posting reviews or making a new page on the website tracking all the books I’m reading this year. I already have a long list of titles I’m looking forward to!
Weekly posts–This is daunting because it will require sacrifice of other things in my life. When I commit to writing, I say no to other free-time pursuits. Even though it’s better for me in the long run, in the moment there’s always a devil on my shoulder telling me why I should give in to my temporal cravings for time-wasting activities.
Publication–I’ll admit, this is the most exciting goal of the year, even if it is the most invested. Last February, I shared about my writing journey with my current project, Lily’s Passage. In short, the book has turned into something much bigger than I ever planned for it to be, but I’m excited to say that I’m nearly done with the revisions! With the loving encouragement of my friends and family, especially my husband, I’ve decided I want to move the book forward to publication. This doesn’t mean it will necessarily be ready for reading this year! Simply that I’ll be starting the process of finding an editor, raising support for the project, and building a platform so that there’s somewhere to land when the time does come to launch. All things considered, I have to amend my above goal to exclude the month of January, because I’m pushing to finish all revisions by the end of this month. I’ll try to post once more in the meantime, but if I’m being realistic, I need all the extra time I can get since life got a little busier this past November!
Thank you to all my readers, whether new or old, for the kind words and insightful comments over the course of this blogging journey. It is always my hope that my words make an imprint on somebody else, and it brings me joy to hear when my writing strikes a chord. I pray that in this new year you find the peace and hope that comes with following Jesus. There is much joy to be had on the narrow road, and I long to see others alongside me on the way.