COMPLETION

Thus the heavens and the earth were completed in all their vast array.

—Genesis 2:1—

Tomorrow will be the last day of school for most districts in this area.

What a year it has been too!  Who would have thought that in March, just as we were ready to go on Spring Break, the COVID 19 pandemic would be upon us.  In fact, we haven’t had to think about something even close to that for about 100 years.  Yet, there it was and by the time we were supposed to return to school, no one could.  None of us have ever been through something like this and I dare say we hope we never need to again.

Even though the school year was now in the hands of ZOOM, there was so much confusion and trepidation.  Some of us, who are techno-stupid, had no idea what ZOOM was and our computer skills are less than optimal. The students could not see their friends except on a screen.  The teachers were dealing with many challenges trying to teach something online that we would have never thought could be done in such a manner.  Parents were scrambling to find a quiet place to work from home while still getting their kiddos set up to be “in class”.

Of course, it wasn’t only teachers and students.  Suddenly everyone was deciding whether or not to go into work(if their physical workplace was even open), or work from home, or if they even had a job to worry about.  I have heard some very innovative ways that people are communicating with fellow employees.  Also, television is continually bombarding us with creative ways to exercise, cook, create, stay busy, and on and on and on within our homes during this strange time.

Even with all things considered, I seem to have a good sense of “completion”.  A sense of a job that (at least for now) is finished. A sense of feeling overwhelmed but satisfied about learning so much about new things (at least for me).  Of course, as with most jobs, nothing is ever really completed.  There’s always something new to learn, or a situation to solve, or a project to create.  That is what makes work so fulfilling.  Yet, there is something rewarding about completing a task or finishing a job.

Of course, we are only discussing our own “human” works, as lowly as they may be.  Can you imagine creating the universe?  Our God, our Creator, intricately formed and forged every flower, every tree, every stream, every animal, every cloud, every raindrop and all that makes up our world.  Can you just imagine how He must have felt when mankind was first created from and upon this earth? He didn’t need ZOOM or online anything!  With his Love and His Perfection and His Grace, he formed a human being from the dust.  He formed babies completely unique from each other.  Every cell, every hair, every dimple – a sign of His Creative Power.  When I saw my baby girl for the first time, it took my breath away.  Can you even fathom how God feels when he completes a human baby?

On that special day, when we meet Him face to face, with our work completed here on earth, oh how we long for him to say – “Well done, my good and faithful servant”.  Completion seems to be a godly aspect of who we are, deep within us.  We struggle to finish all kinds of things because it is part of who we are and who God created us to be.  Just as God created the world, he also created or “instilled” in us the need to work and more to the point – to complete that work.

So as we enter summer, I believe it is a great time to look back on this challenging time, even if it’s not over yet, and say “Good Job” to everyone for their flexibility, their understanding, their creativity, and their tenacity for a job well done.  Here’s hoping that as we return to our workplaces, hoping that the worst is behind us, we look forward to the future, in order to do the best job we can for God and all His children.

So, here is the COMPLETION of this devotional.

Creator God, we come before you humbly and thank You for creating a sense of or a need for completion.  Help us along the way to do the very best that we can for Your Kingdom.  Whatever our tasks, please help us to do them for You and for Your Glory  Help us to complete our assignments with love and joy.  We hope Lord, that when we see You in Heaven one day, you will see our service and say “Well done my good and faithful servant”.