I made a mental note right there that, come hell or high water, from then on I would do nothing else until my duties were completed.”
–Loren D. Estleman (The Hider)
“For which of you, intending to build a tower, does not sit down first and count the cost, whether he has enough to finish it—lest, after he has laid the foundation, and is not able to finish, all who see it begin to mock him.”
–Luke 14:28-29 (NKJV)
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There is a great little humorous poem, recited by Waddie Mitchell, titled “Purt-Near Perkins. (I think it was written by S. Omar Barker). The gist of the story is that there’s an old cowboy that’s done purt’near everything. He purt’near lost his life a few times. He purt’near starved once, and purt’near froze to death. He purt’near broke his horses, and once he was purt’near bitten by a rattlesnake. He purt’near was shot and he purt’near got sick. Well, you get the picture.
How many times have you purt’near done something or not to finish. Some folks purt-near finish college. Some purt’near are good workers. Perhaps you were in a wreck and purt’near lost your life. Maybe you purt’near had a wreck. Purt’near can be good, depending upon the situation. I remember students crying and whining because they purt’near turned their papers in on time, but didn’t and paid the consequences. I remember a time when two cars were racing and they purt’near ran over us–that’s a good time something purt’near didn’t happen.
Purt’near folk can be an aggravation. They get their work purt’near finished. They may have wondrous and grand ideas but they only purt’near finish the job. They build a house, but they are only purt’near done. They go to school, and purt’near graduate. They were purt’near close to getting a promotion at work, but because of their purt’near work someone else received it.
One thing for sure, as Christians we are completely saved, not just purt’near. God doesn’t do a purt’near job on us. Christ didn’t purt’near defeat Satan on the cross, the victory was final, complete. He is not a purt’near God. He is One who finished what He has started, in the world, and in your life. As Paul writes in Philippians 1:6, “being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ.” (NKJV) You are not purt’near saved, nor purt’near ready to meet the Lord. It is done, it is completed for we have the promise of God.
So don’t live your life in a purt’near way. Oh, there may be things that are purt’near done. For example, Annie and I purt’near drove to Alaska one year, but it didn’t come about. But to live half-hearted, to live in despair and not in expectacy is to live a purt’near life. Live in the fullness of Christ. Don’t purt’near trust Him, but trust Him completely for He cares for you.