Finishing Strong

IT SEEMS THERE IS ALWAYS a party at my daughter Katie’s house, and the weekend of my visit was no exception. We were preparing for a unicorn-themed swim party, and everyone had an assignment. My responsibility was to make colored cake pops to give as favors to the little girls celebrating our sweet Brynn’s seventh birthday.

Cake pops were new to me, but I had help from nine-year-old Riley, an experienced cake pop baker. Brynn also assisted and sampled, until her attention span paid no more attention. Riley and I discussed her varied interests as we mixed batter; poured it into the cake pop pan; baked the cake pops; added sticks, icing, and glitter; wrapped each one in plastic; and finally placed the finished pops into designated holes in the cake pop holder. Whew!

What seemed like a fun project at first, complete with yummy dough to lick off our fingers, became a chore as young guests began to arrive. But we still had lots of cake pops to go!

“Riley, as important as it is to start a project, it’s equally important to finish it,” I encouraged her. “You and Grandma need to be ‘finishers.’”

“What’s a ‘finisher,’ Grandma?” she asked.

“A finisher doesn’t quit an assignment because it’s demanding,” I responded. “Anyone can begin, but only finishers can end.”

“Wow,” she said, smiling as she worked faster. “I guess Brynn isn’t a finisher, is she?”

“Let’s give Brynn grace today, because it’s her birthday,” I responded. “You and Brynn are such buddies, and you can help her learn to finish another time. You know who’s a good finisher?” I asked her. “Grandpa. He has more challenges now with Parkinson’s, but he still travels to faraway places, where he tells people about Jesus. His legs really hurt, but he doesn’t complain because he is determined to be a finisher!”

When the last of the pops were ready to bake, I sent Riley to greet more guests and thanked her for her help. Then big sister Abby saved the day by covering our droopy cake pops with decorations.

As I prepared to fly home the next day, Riley and I hugged. “Grandma, I’m a finisher like Grandpa, aren’t I?” she said with a smile.

“You certainly are, Riley. I’m so proud of you! Grandpa will be proud, too, when I tell him you didn’t quit on your responsibility.”

Are you a finisher? Most of our assignments are harder than making cake pops, and it’s natural to get discouraged and give up before we’re done. We’re tempted to quit on marriage when we clash with our mates. We might quit school when the coursework becomes too challenging or quit jobs when we don’t get raises or recognition. We quit putting our best effort into parenting because the task is too demanding. We sometimes quit church over minor issues or quit loving people who offend us. We quit because of selfishness, laziness, bitterness, or pride. All of us struggle to keep going and finish strong.

When Jesus knew His assignment on earth was accomplished, His last words before He gave up His life on the cross were, “It is finished!” (John 19:30, emphasis added). Believers are encouraged to follow His example: “Let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God” (Hebrews 12:1-2, NKJV, emphasis added).

Paul endured much for the sake of the gospel, and as he neared death, he wrote to his disciple Timothy, “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith” (2 Timothy 4:7, NKJV, emphasis added). Few of us will be asked to endure a cross or die a martyr’s death, but we represent Jesus well when we work to complete our assignments in this world. Do you have a task to finish? A relationship to mend? A debt to pay? A sin to confess? A promise to keep?

Jesus never left a task undone. He is waiting until He hears from His Father that it is time to finish history. Until that moment, let’s determine that we will depend on God’s grace to represent His Son, our Savior, and finish strong.

REFLECTION

In what areas are you discouraged and tempted to give up? Pray that God will give you the endurance to finish well—to complete with grace the tasks He has given you. Meditate on one of the above Scriptures in John, Hebrews, or 2 Timothy as you consider the examples of Jesus and Paul, who persevered to the end.