Deadlines are a menace, can break even the most stalwart, and turn otherwise calm, cool, and collected people into unpredictable raving maniacs. I doubt my deadlines are any easier or worse than another’s, they are just more personal to me. I often struggle to let go, knowing that if I do that everything will work out, and at times I lose. Yesterday was one of those days!
The flight back from Hong Kong was longer than expected due to a very northerly route to avoid an active war zone. While I strongly agreed with the captain’s decision to fly north, the additional hours even further wrecked my sinusitis. I left at midnight, arrived fourteen hours to my body and six hours on the clock later, exhausted, dehydrated, and without any active drainage on the right side of my face. Bad news on a good day, and the day arrived along with a major deadline!
If I could have done something earlier on this deadline I would quickly blame myself! However, this deadline was beyond anyone’s control. In order to accomplish it quickly, I need feedback, information, and refinement from people working on my team spread across four continents and fifteen hours of time zone differences. Additionally, nothing could be submitted unless my boss and I agreed from almost exactly opposite sides of the world.
I pushed, and then pushed hard, and then prayed as I let things go. There were testing moments as reasonable people asked for time that was not available. The deadline was not going to move.
“Easy come, easy go, but steady diligence pays off.” (Proverbs 13.11)
The final is here and I am resting easy, diligence and faith pay dividends yet again.
I wonder if I realize that the deadline of my life is here every morning and in each moment. Do I understand what is at risk? Am I as worried about my moment in time with my Creator? If so, what am I doing about it? Will today be any different from yesterday?
God gift, our response is the key.
