Last weekend I had the privilege of picking up trash at three area parks in the city of Maudlin and, as is typical, the most consistent trash item were cigarette butts littered across the ground. What surprised me was where I found the vast majority of them...
Right under the trash cans!
Seriously, there were some around the picnic shelters, some around the bathrooms, and some along the fences of the ball fields; but most were right under the stupid trash cans. Which means one of two things: 1. people smoke around trashcans, which I highly doubt, or 2. people smoke in the park, determine to do the right thing and throw the butts away, walk to the closest trash can, flick the cig towards the trash can, miss, and then leave it on the ground.
I do the same thing all the time.
And so do you.
Be it in my walk with Jesus, in my relationship with my wife, in my parenting of my kids, or in my role as a pastor and church planter at Renewal, I am amazed at how often I see something that should be done, do 90 percent of the work to get it done, and fail to finish.
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I develop a plan for spending intentional time in the Word each day, and fail to get out of bed.
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I schedule a consistent date night, and fail to be emotionally present to listen to my wife.
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I work to get home early to play with my kids before bed, and find something else seemingly more important to do when I get home.
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I teach a church to multiply disciples, and fail to regularly meet with the guys that I am trying to disciple.
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I have great ministry dreams and philosophies, and yet they live in my head and never make it to action.
In each case, the cigarettes are littered under the trashcan of my life. I can have the right goal, passion to do the right thing, and even take steps in the right direction, yet the lack of critical execution renders all the goals, passion, and steps meaningless.
Thank God for His grace to you and me, who consistently leave cigarettes under the trashcan.
