dehsinifnU

While reading a small community newspaper before the holidays I came across an article written by the Pastor of a local church. It caught my attention because 1) I didn't expect to find a page called Spiritual Life in the newspaper, and 2) his reflection reminded me of something I say a lot.

He began by quoting the Apostle Paul when he wrote to the church at Rome and said, "I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate". Paul was admitting to the ongoing struggles in his life and ministry, even 21 years after his conversion to Christianity. Although you might think after all that time walking with Christ, and after all his studying and teaching about how to walk with Christ, he would have gotten his act together; Or at least he would have learned how to hide his faults, like so many of us do.

St. Paul, like every other follower of Jesus Christ who’s trying to make his or her way through this world was living unfinished. Yet he had no interest in acting like he had it all together. His candid, honest, transparent, real-time confession said it all, "I'm not interested in pretending to be something I'm not". The local Pastor went on to explain that he had a T-shirt made with the word dehsinifnU printed on the front, so that every time he saw himself in a mirror he would be reminded that he is also Unfinished.

I believe that each and every one of us is unfinished which is what I mean when I say, "We're all doing the best that we can!"; and by that I mean everyone, whether you attend church every day or only a couple of times per year. We're all on the path, and although some of us are doing better than others we're all (without exception) trying to do our best. St. Paul's willingness to admit his struggles gives each of us an example to follow. Temptation gets in the way of choices, we make mistakes, and we often fail to be the people God knows we can be. My hope is that when you see me you will see me as unfinished, and struggling to be the person that God wants me to be.