If you were to look at my personal profile on this site you would see that one of my hobbies is trying to get my basement finished. It has been a three and a half year project, with all the labor being done by myslef and my wife Julie. When we bought our home our basement was a an empty shell awaiting someone who had a plan to bring the project to completion. When we began our basement, I carefully selected each 2×4 for the walls and eventually putting the finishing touches on the wall with paint. We are now enjoying the benefits and beauty of a place built just for us for our needs and desires. In all, we added around nine hundred square feet of so of living space to our home.

It seemed like we would never get done with this project, but due to our oldest daughter graduating form high school and family coming to attend, we had to hop to it. Sometimes we procrastinate until we absolutely have to take action. Unfortunately, our lives are that way as well. As we begin a new year many of us will procrastinate fixing broken relationships, losing some weight, going to church, or finishing a basement.
When I look at my basement, I take pride in the work Julie and I did to make it such a neat place for our family to retreat to. But, it took hard work. If we want to get our lives in order this new year, it will take hard work and hard work is something the majority of us do not want to be involved in. Just as I had to pain-stakingly select each 2×4 for my walls, you may have to carefully select what you need to do to improve your relationships with people and with God. It will take time to mend relationships, to get your act together spiritually, and to become a finished product that can be enjoyed by your family and God.