Whose project is this anyway?

"Finally it occurred to me that there was something more I could do in my sleepless early-morning hours."

By Charles W. Lindahl

If the boss had asked me before commiting us to develop this ambitious new program in a year, I would have told him it was impossible. To create the only other program like it had taken a full three years and much more staff and resources than we had. But he hadn't asked, and I'd ended up with the responsibility of delivering this high-profile, controversial new program in an unrealistically short time.

I quickly developed a budget, hired people, reassigned existing staff, appointed advisory groups, and took the other steps necessary to get the project under way. But no matter how much progress I made, all that I still needed to accomplish haunted me. Night after night I woke up at 2:00 or 3:00 a.m., worrying about all I had yet to complete and fearing the consequences if it didn't get done.

Finally it occurred to me that there was something more I could do in my sleepless early-morning hours. I could pray to gain a better understanding of God's eagerness to help me. That's what I did, along with reading the Bible, which was full of reassuring passages. Jesus' humble recognition "I can of mine own self do nothing" (John 5:30), coupled with his words "[T]he Father that dwelleth in me, he doeth the works" (John 14:10), became my anchor. I also stayed with this guidance: "Be still, and know that I am God" (Ps. 46:10). This promise meant a great deal to me, too: "... with God all things are possible" (Mark 10:27).

Send a comment to the editors

We'd love to hear from you!

Easily submit your testimonies, articles, and poems online.

Submit

Whose project is this anyway?

We'd love to hear from you!

Sign up for unlimited access