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And I am sure that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on that day when Christ Jesus comes back again. — Philippians 1:6 NLT
“Oh, no,” I muttered as my bare foot met with a wet floor. The puddle of water seeping from my dishwasher meant only one thing—another job to add to the honey-do list.
I hated to do it, especially after my husband spent all summer working on our son’s car while our son played baseball in Canada. That car job included replacing three control arms, with bushings, and two sets of brakes and rotors; finding and fixing an elusive oil leak; patching an exhaust leak; and, somehow, putting back together a cracked splash guard, which had unexpectedly met with both a curb and a snow bank—then making sure everything was in working order so it would pass inspection. All at our expense, of course. What we don’t do for our kids.
But some repairs can’t be ignored for long, so I added “check dishwasher leak” to the ever-growing and getting-easier-to-ignore honey-do list, which included two commodes—one that kept running and pumped the well dry if we didn’t jiggle the handle and the other that shut the water off too soon, leaving a practically empty bowl. Then there was the hot water tap in the upstairs bathroom—my bathroom—that I kept turned off at the valve because the drip evolved into a slow run.
I’ve learned not to complain or nag, not because I’m such an ideal wife but because I know there are other, more important jobs that need done, such as fixing David’s car. I don’t need an outhouse—yet—and I can get warm water from the tub to brush my teeth. No big deal.
God, too, has a honey-do list for each of His children. I can just see mine: strengthen patience, repair growing leak around mouth, patch cracked shield of faith, replace emotion-brake so she won’t lose control, find and fix trickle of envy.
His honey-do list, like our household list, is never ending. Finish one job and another pops up. Or something that was fixed breaks down again.
Again, I’ve learned not to complain (too much). Not because I’m such an ideal child of God but because I know, little by little, He’s transforming my attitudes, correcting my viewpoints, honing my emotions, and replacing my dreams.
Such a total transformation from the inside out must be done gradually, with skilled Hands, a loving Heart, and a wise Mind. But when the job is finally completed, we’ll be more than we could ever have imagined—and all that He knows we could be.
What God won’t do for His children.
Father God, please keep working on me. Amen.
Read and reflect on 1 Corinthians 5:17.
From God, Me, & a Cup of Tea: 101 devotional readings to savor during your time with God, © 2017 Michele Huey. All rights reserved.
Michele Huey 