Last night I came to the startling realization that it is the middle of January and 2014 is now well underway. The crazy thing is I have no idea what will happen this year. I am trying to think back and I can’t come up with a time when life felt this fluid.
As I contemplated this I began to feel comfort in Philippians 1:6 “And I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns” (NLT).
When I look back I can clearly see all the ways God has moved to bring things to this point, because of this I should be confident God is already at work in this blank slate before me. However, when I stare out into nothingness all too often I fear and falter. All I can pray is prayer of the desperate father “I do believe, but help me overcome my unbelief” (Mark 9:24)!
Incomplete then is going to be my personal theme for this year. What does it mean to live in the tension of being a work in progress? How do I partner with God as he works within me? And many more questions I am sure will rise out of this theme.
Along with the internal spiritual direction of taking a yearlong look at Incomplete it stirs other parts of my person. What have I left undone? Why do I leave things undone? When I leave things undone is this a symptom of something greater? If I am completely honest, I think my own unfinished projects have a deep spiritual and psychological impact.