When we have a vision for something, in the beginning it is exciting and energizing, but the true test comes when the newness wears off and the drudgery of everyday life takes over. For instance, when I start a new knitting project, I am excited to see the pattern take shape on my needles and to feel new yarn between my fingers. Then, you hit the section where it is the same thing for rows and rows and rows. It feels like you are getting nowhere slowly. You want to throw it in a corner and start something else or work on something else with a little more instant gratification.
The same is true of renovation project or restoration project. You see what an item or room or even house could become. You are itching to get started. Then, you hit one of a ton of individual tasks that are messy or tiring or frustrating, and you want to quit. You are so busy looking at the list of little details that have to be completed that you lose sight of the big picture. It isn’t until you look at a before picture and then look at where you are now that you realize how far you have come.
When God gives you a vision, it is fresh and exciting, but the real test will come when you are staring at a list of details or you don’t see how it can ever all come together. The finish line seems an eternity away. This is why you have to keep a fresh view of the vision in mind every day. When you are working on a particularly frustrating part of the journey, just remember you are one step closer to the vision.