Classic Buffalo Bills. They started the year strong, winning their first 4 out of 5 games, giving so many of us hope. Then classic Bills mode set in, and they have now lost 7 in a row. It doesn’t matter anymore how great they started. Sure, it was fun, but now it means nothing. They started strong and are finishing weak. Lame and pathetic also qualify as adequate descriptions. Once again, for the 12th straight year, the Bills won’t be in the playoffs. It’s quite disheartening.
With coaching, I’ve seen my teams do that plenty enough. They come out strong but can’t maintain it and fizzle off before the game is over. The problem is you can’t start strong and not finish strong. Ever seen a team come from behind??? Maybe they started weak, but the other team, the team with the lead, started strong, but didn’t finish strong. It certainly makes or breaks the game. I tell my girls before every game, in every sport, “We gotta start strong, play strong and finish strong.”
Ever seen this in someone’s life? They go at something with a vengeance. They tackle a hobby, a volunteer position, whatever it might be, with vigor. But they don’t finish the task that way. Many simply don’t even finish. I’ve seen plenty of people start something but never finish it, whatever “it” might be. “It” could be a diet; an exercise plan; a small group; a book; a devotional time with God; a job or volunteer position. “It” could be anything! When you see someone like this, what sticks with you, their start or their finish? Yepp, we tend to remember the end more than the beginning.
I knew someone who was going to write down the name of every student at a local high school and make sure each and every kid was personally contacted thru the school’s Bible club. They formed a leadership team, drew up a game plan and had everyone excited. That’s as far as they got. I had a friend who was all about meeting up to work out 2 days a week; it lasted only a couple months. I’ve seen several volunteers come and go in various positions. They were so excited to contribute and help out, whether that had to do with cleaning, teaching, praying, assisting...but that excitement didn’t last very long, nor did their volunteering.
Sure, everything has seasons, and there is a start and finish to that season. I just want to be THAT person who goes from start to finish with the same strength and passion that I started with. I want to complete the task, finish the race and end strong. I want to be known as THAT person who completed the task, finished the race and ended strong. People are going to remember our finish so let’s make it something worth remembering!