Friday, March 20, 2009

the good work

I have vague teenage memories of spending the night at my cousin Beth's house
and waking up on Sunday morning to the musical stylings of Steve Green.
Or Larnelle Harris or Sandy Patti and her big 80's hair.
I think her hair joined her in a few of her numbers.
Somehow I remember these words being incorporated into my dreams.
He who began a good work in you
He who began a good work in you
Will be faithful to complete it
Will be faithful to complete it
He who started the work will be faithful to complete it in you.
The words of Paul in song form. Thank you, Steve Green, for your catchy
tune that is still stuck in my head 20 years later.
And at 15 or 16, it didn't really impact me because I was 15 or 16 and pretty
much had the world under control and didn't need any work done on me.
But today I am thinking that there is still a whole lot of work forthcoming.
I have known Jesus since I was around 6.
And the more time I spend knowing him I realize two things. I need him.
And I'm still not that much like him.
Oh and a third thing....I don't have the ability to make myself like him.
I spend a lot of fruitless moments trying to complete his good work in myself.
Trying to discipline myself and heal myself and shape myself.
And honestly, I have fantastic intentions.
But every so often I realize what I am trying to do.
I realize that I think if I work at it hard enough I can change myself.
And then I also think maybe this work in me will never be done.
Yesterday, Addison pulled a stool up to the counter and was watching the eggo waffles pop up. And when one toasty waffle shot into the air, he turned to me in great surprise and said, "How is that fossible?"
I made him repeat it 50 times. I like how he says "fossible".
But that is the same feeling of amazement I feel when something finally shifts in my life, when God begins to shape me or move me or change me because I realize that surely, I can't do it on my own.
How is it possible? I don't know how it's possible. I don't understand the mechanics of giving over all your junk to God and him working it out for his purposes.
But I am going with it.
Because I know that if I keep letting him have at me, he will do the work.
And that's good stuff.


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4 comments:

Erica said...

Amen, sister!

Kara said...

With God all things are fossible. :-) Great post Suzie-Q!

Rachel said...

Whenever your blog shows up in my email I feel like I'm receiving a message from a close friend. You hit the nail on the head today. Thank you for allowing God's nudgings and urgings and gentle reminders to flow through you.

Christy said...

I just wanted to drop in and say hello. I don't remember how I found your book, but I have recently purchased it and it is on my to-read list for a Spring Reading challenge I am participating in.

I am really looking forward to it and I enjoyed reading through your blog.