Almost

All of us have had that veil removed so that we can be mirrors that brightly reflect the glory of the Lord. 2 Corinthians 3:18

As I was growing up, my mother told me many times, “You don’t have what it takes.” Mom believed in reverse psychology, so she tried to motivate me by pointing out everything I would never accomplish.

Well, I set my mind to the task of proving my mother wrong. The only problem was that no man wants his mother to be wrong.

As a result, my twenties were characterized by the word almost. I almost ran a successful drafting business. I almost carried on a successful ministry. But whenever I got close to accomplishing my goals, I felt a strange need to change directions and do something else. Many times over, I almost finished the course—but not quite.

The final straw came when I almost lost the house I had spent a year building. I had dug and hammered and painstakingly given rise to the house that would be home to the most important people in my life. But after one year in the house, I was having trouble making the payments. When the foreclosure letter arrived in the mail, it stung. Waves of failure crashed down upon my heart. I desperately prayed for help.

A couple of weeks later, I was approached by a fellow pastor whose church was in a building program. They were looking for ways to cut their budget. He knew about my drafting background and asked if I would consider working with their architect to produce the final drawings. The church saved some money, and I earned enough extra income to keep up with my house payments.

What are the “almosts” in your life that cause you to despair? Help is only a prayer away.

Lord, don’t let “almost” be the word that defines my day.