Finishing is one of the hardest things there is to do. I have a black T-shirt with a gold imprint of Drew Brees dunking over the goal-post in Miami after scoring on a quarterback sneak. One word is imprinted on the shirt: FINISH!
Life really isn't about where you come from or what your background is, but rather it is about how you live, truly live and how you finish.
John Wesley, founder of what would become Methodism world wide, lay on his deathbed at the age of 88 in 1791. Despite Wesley's extreme weakness, the began singing the hymn, "I'll Praise My Maker While I've Breath."
English physicist and chemist Michael Faraday was asked, "Have you ever pondered by yourself what will be your occupation in the next world?" Faraday hesitated then said, "I shall be with Christ, and that is enough."
We are working on our bucket list of things to do in New Orleans before we move on June 30 to North Louisiana.
This past week, we ate gumbo and thin catfish at New Orleans Hamburger and Seafood, and we at fried green tomato and shrimp remoulade po-boy at Crabby Jacks. I coached again, third base for Emma's T-Ball team, and we saw our son, Jason, play the House of Blues a last time on Saturday night and Sunday I preached Sunday and a dear, dear friend from the beginning of the ministry 17 years ago came, then later we spent a long, warm day at Zephyr Field watching with our grand daughter Emma and daughter Carrie the Zephyrs play the El Paso Chihuahuas No, really. Chihuahuas.
Check. Check. Check and check. In the coming days, weeks really, we will eat at our favorite po-boy place for roast beef po-boys, Bear's. We will eat one last time at my favorite pizza place, Coco Bamboo. We will go to the River Walk, and, er, walk. We will ride the street cars to the River Walk from out front of our church down through St. Charles Ave. with its huge oaks and shaded travel among the richest folks' homes in all of New Orleans. We will go to absolutely as many youth baseball and softball games as is possible. We will preach three times in the final five weeks.
And it will be done.
The Bible says of these types of things, from the words of the Apostle Paul, "As for me, I am already poured out as a libation, and the time of my departure has come. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. From now on there is reserved for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will give me on that day, and not only to me but also to all who have longed for his appearing."
I have always loved these closing words from Paul to his student Timothy.
He's saying, "I have given it all, everything I have, and it is time to leave this world. I have fought the good fight and I have finished it."
Final words.
David finished this life by saying this, "David, the son of Jesse speaks -- David, the man who was raised up so high, David the man appointed by the God of Jacob, David th sweet psalmist of Israel."
Jesus finished this life by saying, "Father, into your hands I commit my spirit."
We are excited to no end about the good folks of the churches we are going to serve, and that's truly how I view ministry. We pray a new wave of the Spirit on these churches, on the people we've met and are about to.
But it will be entirely new. Nothing is quite like New Orleans, which we will leave five weeks from tomorrow. And there is nothing like grown kids and their little ones. Nothing.
So, the long fade into moving has begun. Boxes line walls and rooms that are vacant of furniture. Things to do lists begin to sprout. Bucket lists of things to get done before we leave have begun to be checked off.
Through it all, we are like James French, a convicted murderer, who shouted a few last words to members of the press who were there to witness his death by the electric chair, "Hey, fellas! How about this for a headline for tomorrow's paper? 'French Fries!' "
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