When a Tiny Project Keeps Growing...and Growing...and Growing!

Currently underway is a huge sealant and painting project at a community that I manage.  One that will last several months long.  One thing I've noticed is that as they complete one section, the sections next to it, that I thought looked fine prior, now look in dire need of a coat of paint. 

The exterior paint job has also highlighted some areas in the interior of the underground parking.  So I decided to have my staff brighten up a few things in there as well.  First thing was to repaint all the blue handicap areas and the blue stripes in the parking lot.  Once this was done it made the white arrows and white stripes look dull.  So then I directed them to paint the white.  After the white was done you could see the sidewalk floor leading to the elevator lobby badly needed a fresh coat of paint.  That job was completed yesterday so then today I noticed that much of the yellow curbing now looks dull, with black marks on along the front sides of the curbs.  What was going to be a quick touch up of the blue has now led to our second week of interior garage painting.

Have you ever done that?  Where you paint one area of your home and then realize everything around it now looks dirty or dingy?  Or maybe you've cleaned out your refrigerator and felt great about it until you opened the freezer and realized it needs it too.

As I was giving my staff direction this morning on the addition of painting the yellow curbing I realized that this is happening in my life right now too.  There was a specific thing I had really wanted to work on regarding personal growth.  In that endeavor I have a mentor that I meet with regularly to bounce things off of and to get a different perspective on some things other than just my own thoughts on a subject.  It also provides accountability.  Much the same as I meet regularly with my staff, so that if they get tired of painting, I can encourage them to keep on and point out areas that they are doing great, but on occasion point out areas for improvement or safety.  To make sure they are using tape to keep straight lines or a reminder to put out wet floor or wet paint signs.  And then sometimes, like today, they thought they were finally done and I added the yellow curbs to the list. 

Today I felt that way personally, like God was speaking to me and adding way more to my personal growth list than I had bargained for. Telling me that I still have blurred lines and to use His Word to make sure my lines stay straight. That made me wonder if maybe I need to hang a "caution, work in progress" sign around my neck!  Just kidding.  But seriously, just as I'm getting one area all spiffed up and a fresh coat of paint, I turn and see another area being highlighted that now appears dirty or dingy.  In one way I'm grateful because if my first impression had just been all the messy areas in my life I might have given up long ago. So in that way I'm grateful that it is a process.  However, it is one that is definitely growing and growing. 

Questions to ask myself:

• What are some areas in my life that I want to change or are currently working on? 
• In that process have I seen other areas that weren't even on my radar before now being highlighted? 
• Does it discourage me that it could become a never ending list? 
• Or am I encouraged because while I know it is becoming much more in-depth than I had ever imagined, I also know how satisfied it feels when a specific project or area is completed? 
• Am I willing to continue to make improvements, even if that means I will be constantly improving and learning until my last breath?

Here's a verse that I use to encourage myself:

And I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns.  - Philippians 1:6