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Diligence


The lazy man does not roast his game, but the diligent man prizes his possessions. (Proverbs 12:27)

          I spent yesterday working on three big goals: this blog entry, the front steps, and my novel and two “I really should” goals: my word of the day and my Christian Influence in History blogs. By quarter after six pm, I completed the current phase of the steps. If I do nothing more, we’ll be the only ones who know there was supposed to be more. But I have fussed over several Bible passages, trying to find one that inspired and … nothing. So, I worked in reverse. I started writing and found a theme for which I then found a verse. 
          The only thing I can say about myself today is “Diligence.” I spent part of three days cleaning the steps, finishing this morning. Though it’s unusual for me, I covered and taped the way you’re supposed to when you paint – which now means I need to find some white paint to touch up places where the tape pulled the white paint off! I put the first coat on right after lunch, and the second coat on shortly after dinner. In between the two coats, I fussed about this blog post, and I fretted over the fact that I wasn’t getting to my story the way I should. 
          According to the study notes on this verse, the idea is that the lazy man doesn’t complete his tasks, while the diligent person completes them and reaps the benefits thereof. As I keep walking to the front door to check on the steps (Yes, effectively watching paint dry) I’m getting to prize them. They look much better than they did. If I go on to the second phase, they’ll either look better still – or they’ll look tawdry. But, for the moment, I’m prizing my possessions – completed stairs and completed blog post.
          What are you working on that you’ll be able to treasure if you are diligent?

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