Projects

Chaos is something that I am weak at.  I don't like it, it bothers me down to the core.  It makes me want to scream.  Chaos is always what it looks like when you are in the middle of projects.  Home, work, personal...doesn't matter.  We are starting to pull out of the darkest before the dawn hour...but still a little bit of chaos.

Here is before on the porch...

...and the almost, but not quite finished...

The patio before....

....and the almost not quite finished...

The roof before....

...and almost finished...

With everything we do there are gospel lessons to be learned.  I notice that just before we finish one project, right when it is at it messiest, we snap.  We start to break down and maybe even get a little cranky.  We are tempted to give up, quit.  Then we reach down into the deepest hidden reserve and we press forward with faith that we can get it done.  We endure the bone weary tiredness and continue.  Then we get to finish that part.
 Done.
Accomplished.
Beautiful.
We get to rest from our labors, not because we are perfectly finished, but because we are done with that project.  Not the whole project.

We need to look at our gospel journey in the same sense.  We can complete a trial and be happy with our progress.  We can enjoy the new line of understanding for a season.  We can be happy.  Having faith, pressing forward, mustering up courage, and enduring takes time.  Results are worth the efforts.  Prayers, fasting, taking the sacrament, serving, scripture study  and believing are our keys to being able to reach down in the midst of the temptation to quit and press forward because the end result is awesome!

Kick back and enjoy the view because this life is awesome.