Dear Ones,

IN procrastination to avoid the hard work of blogging, I pulled out my old oil paints and several canvases to try painting again. I wanted to do something abstract, easier than realism, especially with my tremors. I’m practicing on small Dollar Store canvases before I do a masterpiece over our mantle. I forgot how hard it is to do a quality painting. Without embracing the discipline to plan a pleasing composition, I end up in frustration. I didn’t want to work at it because I’m getting old and tired, especially after this last tumultuous year. To my dismay, painting wasn’t any easier than writing.

Like a painting, the Old Year skies darkened with COVID news, extended lockdowns, loss of relational time, and political wars. Cold prevailing winds of personal failures and loss smacked hard and tore away words to encourage anyone else. It was all I could do to keep my head above the ensuing flood. Although God kept me afloat, confidence to write yielded to an invisible undercurrent of weariness.

I felt tempted to give in and say, “It is what it is.” But God’s Holy Spirit reminded me of Philippians 3:14 “But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.”

So we “strain” toward what lies ahead. We “press on” toward the goal of our heavenly calling. Then I read Ann Voskamp’s email exhortation this morning to stop procrastinating and do the hard things God calls us to do. She writes, “Hard things just keep calling you because you’re meant to answer to higher and better things.”

Now the New Year awakens and stretches before me while I wait in eager anticipation for the revelation of God’s plan for His dearly-bought children. Nearly 4,000 years ago, King Solomon wrote, “I saw the hard work God has given people to do. God has given them a desire to know the future. He does everything just right and on time, but people can never completely understand what He is doing” (Ecc 3:10-11 NCV).

Yet, He asks us to live by faith, not by sight, trust Him with all our hearts, and not lean to our own understanding (Prov 3:5-6 NIV). In Isaiah, He says, “‘For My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways My ways,’ declares the LORD. ‘As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways and My thoughts than your thoughts’” (Isa 55:8-9 NIV).

By His grace, He gave us His living and powerful Word and His Holy Spirit to guide, convict, and comfort us. He tells us to stand strong in the spiritual armor He provided for us and do the hard things He calls us to do.

Ann continues her exhortation with, “You’re made to do hard and holy things — because there’s no other way to get to the happy and holy things… Life is Pain — and you get to choose: either the Pain of Discipline or the Pain of Disappointment.”

So here I am, doing the hard thing to seek God and His message in hard times. Perhaps He is redeeming my procrastination by a living example of Galatians 6:9 “Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.”

No promises exist that 2021 will be any easier than 2020, but until Jesus catches us away to heaven to live with Him forever, we must persevere in the race He Himself set before us to do the hard things He calls us to do. Now is not the time to give up, yield to our flesh, and procrastinate. Now is the time for God’s children to fight to win with all the energy He gives us once we take the first step of obedience. I know it’s true because you wouldn’t be reading this otherwise.

Happy New Year with love and many prayers!