The LORD will fulfill his purpose for me; your love, O LORD, endures forever– do not abandon the works of your hands. Psalm 138:8

Someone once told me, “orderly desk, orderly mind.” …I don’t think I’ve ever heard a more discouraging saying.

You should see  my desk at this moment. Seriously, there are 17 half-started projects all over the place- covering the desk, floor, table, couch and counter. I’m even leaking out into the conference room with my stuff. It all has to get done; it all is important… it just isn’t finished! Bible studies, school projects, letters to write, cards to send, a folder of missionary letters to read, three partially read books, even a partially completed to-do list!. I did manage to finish my lunch. My only consolation is that my office isn’t near as bad as Pastor Paul’s. Oooh… feel the burn… love ya’ Paulie!

Sometimes I feel like my whole life is that way. I look at all of the areas that are currently “under construction” and it’s sometimes a little discouraging. Like a partially remodeled house, there’s not a single room that’s presentable. Do you know what I’m talking about?

That’s why I take great comfort in the promises of God. This verse is especially meaningful. “The LORD will fulfill his purposes for me.” Ultimately and on God’s timetable I will be completed and perfected, and so will you. Now I’m not talking about my forgetfulness or lack of organizational skills or even the more obvious quirks in my personality. I’m talking about the deep and meaningful areas of my soul where God is constantly at work producing his fruit of the Spirit… love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Like a master sculpture God patiently chips away at my rough areas to reveal his masterpiece.

A couple of months ago Pam and I dropped into Chrissy Raymond’s art studio, The Creative Brush. One of the things that surprised me was how long it takes to paint a picture. It doesn’t all happen at once, there are many processes and layers of paint that are painstakingly applied over many hours, days and even months. And at any time you can see a masterpiece in the making- partially finished portraits are throughout the studio.

I think that is what it means to be a child of God. We are all a bunch of masterpieces in the making. All of us are in some state of process. Our Heavenly Father is slowly bringing us to completion; we are all under construction.

You can sense the frustration that the Psalmist has… “Don’t abandon the works of your hand!” It’s as if he’s saying, can you speed things up a little? I’m feeling a little undone down here! Don’t forget me. Or perhaps at that moment his life made no sense. ‘How could this be part of God’s purpose?‘ we often wonder.

The middle of the verse provides God’s answer. Rest easy. Have faith. God’s love endures forever. Although I am creature bound by time and often impatient, God’s eternal love will outlast and overwhelm every unfinished portion of my life.

So rest, trust the Artist and extend grace toward yourself and the other masterpieces you meet who are also under construction. We’ll get there in the end.