Charli Had to Die

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My Pastor told a story on the last Sunday of 2019 that was both humorous and thought-provoking. His family went to the store, and like most parents the week after Christmas, warned that there would be no toy purchases on this trip.

Inside the story, their four-year-old son asked  for a toy. Pastor Vic said no. The child asked again, and this time the Pastor decided on a different response, although he wasn't prepared for the response.

"I'll buy you a new toy on the the condition that we throw away all your new Christmas gifts."

The child thought for a moment, and then replied, "OK."

So Pastor Vic went a step further. "Besides your new toys, I'll also throw away all your old toys, including your super hero collection."

"OK."

This was getting sticky. Pastor Vic then thought he had an ace-in-the-hole with, "Your new puppy, Charli, was also a Christmas gift. In order to buy you a toy today, I'll have to put Charli out in the cold, and she probably won't make it. You'll have to go and tell your sister."

The boy thought for a moment, and then finally said, "OK."

The situation was resolved without putting Charli out, and without buying a new toy. Pastor's point for the message was, "We focus so much on what we want that we forget what we have." Since my mind was on New Year's goals, this really spoke to me. Sometimes I focus on what did not get done the previous year. The promise of a fresh start can sometimes be daunting and stressful because of the tendency to make huge, difficult, and nearly impossible goals in an effort to make up for lost time.

What if goal-oriented people decided to just build on what God has already done? Maybe it's time to assess the progress already made and build on that, instead of wiping the slate clean and starting all over. That's probably needed in some situations, but most likely, if one truly looks at what God did in their life the previous year and then ask God, with gratitude, to help build on that progress; goals are more attainable.

We've been given a promise, "Being confident of this, that He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus." (Philippians 1:6, NIV) God began it, and he will complete it. We just need to thank Him and keep walking toward the goal.

"Father, I may not have accomplished all I wanted to in 2019, but I'm thankful for the progress that was made. Help me to build on that as you complete the work You started in me. In Jesus name, Amen."

Click to Tweet: "Sometimes we focus so much on what we want that we forget what we have." Pastor Victor Lopez, Gracepoint Church