Rome if you want to

"Rome wasn't built in a day", was a phrase my Dad aways used to say ( and still does). I have always been fascinated at his focus and ability to accomplish what I thought were impossible tasks. As a police officer, he wore a uniform to work everyday. That act of conforming always seemed too restrictive for me to abide. Ironically, I've worked for the Salvation Army for the last seven years and every Sunday morning what do I wear? I wear a navy blue uniform to church. There I go conforming to something I thought I never would.

Rome though reminds me of my life in general. There are always errands to run for my family and myself. There are always houshold projects, cleaning and laundry to be done. There are long work hours, time spent on college projects and many things that need "builidng" everyday.

So everyday I try to build Rome a little more. I seek to do and excellent job in ministering to the youth of my church. I always do at least two loads of laundry a day in order to keep Rome from becoming buried in whites. I am in my last sememster of my BA program and I can't even begin to procees the days that have gone into buliding that part of Rome.

Rome wasn't built in a day and my life wasn't either. At times I wish my life looked perfect like a pristine, white gallery in Rome, but the truth of the matter is I don't live there. That kind of house would look funny in my neighborhood.

I remember asking my Dad when I was a small child, "How long did it take to build Rome then?" He would just smile and tell me to look it up in an encyclopedia.

Some projects are bigger than we can understand, just as I couldn't understand the vastness of Rome as a small child. My life and Rome have a great deal in common, I just need the patience and persistance to see it built in full.