We humans tend to think in terms of the end result, our final destination, the finished product, the polished presentation. We don’t look at a half-finished painting and exclaim, “My, how beautiful!” We wait for the flower to bloom and never stop to admire the delicate, unfurling leaves. We give awards to the people who can finish first. Every parent’s heard, “Are we there yet?” at least a thousand times. We get frustrated with an unfinished project. We berate ourselves or others for uncorrected character flaws or bad habits we still haven’t managed to break.
In fact, the state of something being unfinished seems to cause us a fair amount of angst as a whole. We prize the completed. We either criticize or pass over the uncompleted. Yet is this really the way it should be? What does all this impatience, frustration, and hurry really gain us? What are we missing by our limited vision? Probably nothing when you really think about it. Truth be told, I’m not sure God would agree with our approach either.
Think about the story of creation for a moment. God didn’t just “shazaam” and poof it into existence in a single instant. He crafted it in stages, each more exquisite and complex than the last, to the final crowning glory… man and woman in His own image. Each word He spoke was another brush stroke in the breathtaking masterpiece of a master painter. You won’t see Him getting impatient. “Can we get to the mammals already? These dumb fish took way too long to make!” Quite the opposite, in fact. Take a closer look, “And God saw that it was good.” Not just once when the world was finally completed, but at each step of the journey. He celebrated the beauty of each and every unfinished moment.
Still not convinced? Skip ahead in history to the accounts of Jesus and His time of ministry on earth. You’ll read story after story of Him hanging out with regular people, just like you and me. He doesn’t seem to be trying to get them all fixed overnight either. “Yo, Peter, this temper problem has got to go! Seriously, man, I’ve been talking to you about your little problem for a year already. Why don’t you go work on it for a while? Then come back when you think you’ve got it licked, and we’ll see if we still have a spot for you on my team.”
Thankfully, that’s not the Jesus I know and love!! Instead, you’ll find Him enjoying everyday relationships with these imperfect people. Just as they were, a work in progress. The Bible doesn’t give us many details, but I imagine Him celebrating these people and their individual journeys just like His Father celebrated creation. He probably laughed with Peter over his impulsiveness or listened with compassion at the fallout from yet another instance where he lost his temper, and at the same time, exhorting him in love to try and try again.
So why are we so hard on ourselves and other people? Why can’t we enjoy the journey, instead of pouring all our focus into the destination?
Right now, I’d like to challenge you to think of one unfinished thing in your life. It might be another person you’re frustrated with. Maybe you’ve been waiting for something big or exciting to happen. Or it might be a project at work. It could even be something in yourself that drives you crazy and you’ve been working to change for a while. Whatever it is, stop whatever you are doing right now and hold that thing before you for a moment. Forget the frustration or hurry. Forget that it’s not yet the way you want it to ultimately be. Look for the beauty in the unfinished. Ask God to show you His view of this thing. How can you find enjoyment in what is, instead of obsessing about what isn’t? What is one thing you can do to celebrate the journey with this “thing” just as it is in this moment?
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