Tuesday, August 24, 2010

I am Thankful for Completed Projects

Over the weekend I completed an article for the Church of God Evangel. It was due last Friday; I emailed it yesterday (Monday). I sent in a minor revision today (two words added to one sentence). I am not satisfied with it and I am pleased at the same time. Overall, I think it is well written for the intended audience; it is clear, tight and covers some heavy concepts without unnecessary verbiage. There are some transitions that could be clearer. I am most frustrated with the summary conclusions; they lack the practical punch they needed. I could keep working on it for some time and never be entirely satisfied. I went over my word limit but could have used a couple of hundred more to smooth out the argument and add a few details. Perfectionism is a heavy burden to bear.

And yet it is such a good feeling to be finished with a project even if it seems imperfect and incomplete. I am not certain the extent to which this feeling is common to the human race and the extent it is a product of my upbringing. I am just thankful for it. It is especially rich when the project will potentially be a blessing to others. Writing is a ministry. I often feel God’s pleasure when I do it.

Cleveland, Tennessee
August 24, 2010
JDJ

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Can't wait to read it.
Shirley

Anonymous said...

And you write so well......You should do it more often. How about us quitting all our jobs and moving to a cabin in the mountains by a stream where we can write away the hours? I guess there is someone out there who would like to finance this ministry.
Cheryl