A Half-Written Song

“We must quickly carry out the tasks assigned us by the one who sent us. The night is coming, and then no one can work.” John 9:4 (NLT) I remember sitting with my songwriter friend and talking about the song that he and I wanted to write. We laughed, tuned, strummed, picked, drank coffee, and started writing, but only got about half a verse done before getting sidetracked by someone dropping in to visit. So we told each other we’d finish it “next time.” The next time I saw him was at his funeral. I never thought we’d lose him so soon! There was no more chance to write that song together, no more jamming, no more picking, no trying to hit that high harmony with an ear-splitting howl, then laughing at ourselves when it sounded like dueling coyotes! He was gone. It reminds me, when I look at those half-written lyrics, about how we can let little things come in the way of doing what we know God wants us to do. Looking back, I wish we hadn’t gotten derailed, and had just dug in and finished that song off, but we thought we had time . . . If God is calling us to choose His way or to do something for Him, we may find it easier to just put it off — or keep it on the back-burner along with a collection of other good ideas — than to actually do what He’s calling us to. We can’t do much with a half-written song, sort of like “almost deciding” to choose Jesus, but never quite getting there. When God calls us to follow Him, we need to follow through on making that choice. If He calls us to His service, we shouldn’t be anywhere else! — Kene Jackson   Council Fire is a collaboration with Intertribal Life Ministries and Native Evangelical Fellowship of Canada. The Council Fire Daily Devotional Book Set is available on the Intertribal Life Ministries website. Learn more about Council Fire at councilfire365.org