One thing that has stuck in my small mind is to finish what you start. If I heard my Mom say, “you ain’t done yet·1 once I heard it a million times. Usually when I was self-cleaning. Whether on the back porch washing my hands and face for supper or making a real effort to get my tough as leather, dirty, “rusty” feet clean before getting in between those white sheets that had been washed outside and hung to dry and they felt soooo good. But they showed dirt easy. And I told you all before I was allergic to soapy water, but not allergic to the creek water. Now I was fishing the other day and I used some minnows. When I got ready to come home, I cleaned every speck of them off of the hook before I put the rods in the truck. Why? Cause I heard when a little fellow, the phrase, “you ain’t done yet·, If something, even the smallest thing wasn’t finished. For instance, don’t leave the ax laying out, it will rust if it rains.
Well, the sky was clear and the creek water was waiting. Well, just lick that calf over, was a good expression. This goes right along with my biggest sin- Shut the door, you wuddint raised in a barn. Or the old familiar yell, stop slamming the screen door. Some of this was enough to make a little growing boy on a journey of adventure, sick. I have not finished what I started after I’ve gotten grown just to show rebellion to my folks. The trouble is they weren’t there and usually I would have to go back and finish before I could sleep. Isn’t that crazy? Here I am an old man who doesn’t want to finish picking up the sticks out of the yard after a wind storm, but I feel guilty if I don’t.
I have seen my sweetie start to the garage and get sidetracked and start 13 different projects before she gets there. I don’t know how she keeps up with how far along each project is. “Did I spray weed killer here or over there”, or how much did I fertilize those roses? Have I had a snack? Am I going to the garage or am I coming back? And if I’m going, what for? Those questions would make me sit down and have happy hour-a nap. I wanna scream, You ain’t done yet!!! Finish the weed killer, for goodness sake? Oh well, I may have been cursed by my ‘teachers” Not only mom and Dad, but schoolteachers were the worst. And Milton Price who taught me concrete work, would say, “you ain’t done yet”.
And you know something else? Every single time I get dressed to go somewhere and walk out with what hair I have slicked down and wearing a ‘smile’, I hear something like, You going to wear that?’ That doesn’t go with Khakis. I thought everything went with Khakis. Until now.
Well, some folk clean up with joy. Lots of time I don’t want to clean a paintbrush. But I have to. My most wonderful folks and teachers and friends encouraged me to finish whatever I start. Not everything in life turns out well, but at least if we finish we can leave it behind. I am reminded with that thought about our Lord hanging on a bloody cross said, It is Finished, It is Finished. He had satisfied every aspect of sacrifice to allow me and you to have access to the Father. He finished the job. So even though I am lazy at times, I shut the door, I clean up, I wait for approval of dress choices with gritted teeth, and I laugh at myself when I get impatient with that old man in front of me who is going soooo slow. Try that, you might like the results.
I have been Blessed more by drives through these mountains than any cruise or trip anywhere could do. I thought the West was fantastic, Nova Scotia was beautiful, Maine and Vermont and New Hampshire in the fall are breathtaking. But nothing has satisfied me more than these Appalachian mountains. From just riding around to the most wonderful times camping, mostly in Pisgah Forest with a lot of kids. The solitude of trout fishing and ginseng hunting is not measured in time spent but measured in time ·very well” spent. The simple Joy of rest after pouring concrete or helping hang tobacco or cutting wood is just that-Joy. Just inside of my front door has been a place of rest and joy. Oh sure I have wept more times than can be counted but it was Home. I’ve stayed in really nice places and was overseas in some beautiful places but none of it compares to home. Whether it’s a single wide or a 3 story mansion with elevators, it can be home. Not a place to stay and all those things.. But a place of rest, a place of peace, a place to be in love even through those tough times. But like right now, some bad traits will rear up when we get stuck in a place for days. Sometimes even anger at the kids. Angry and fussing at the husband or wife. The unknown triggers bad responses sometimes and words can be said that take a while to eat. It’s not worth it. I think it is part of our spiritual life to ‘literally’ kill those bad ‘traits’ that flare up, usually when there is no one to blame and we feel helpless. So I try to finish what I start and even once in a blue moon I dress right.
.Harsh words may take a while longer to go away. After all, for better or for worse is a covenant-and you know what HE thinks about covenants don’t you? It Is Finished.
