"A Job Halfway Done Ain't Done" (And Three Personal Observations)

When I was growing up as a teenager, my father would often tell me, "Mike, a job halfway done ain't done" (he wasn't grammatically correct, but he got the point across). What he was telling me in few words, was that any job sloppily performed or half-heartedly thrown together, was only a halfway effort (the job wasn't done with either a sense of pride, i.e., for a job well done, or enthusiasm).

Three personal observations will verify the validity of my late father's idiom:

1) While working as both a full time employee and substitute in our local school district's mailroom, there would be post office mail brought into the mailroom from various schools that was put in the mail bin backwards, upside down, and with no return address. After careful scrutiny, either I or my fellow workers, would promptly return the mail bin back to the deliverer, explaining to the individual that the mail was not in compliance with postal regulations, and thus would have to be sorted correctly or it would not be delivered by the US Postal Service.

Remember: "A job halfway done ain't done."

2) Yesterday, I noticed a young man taking water meter readings, using a company smart phone to gather the necessary data for our local water company. The only problem was that he did not properly replace the metal closure over the hole which housed the water meter. By doing his job halfway, he created a dangerous situation for any one who might have broken a bone (or bones) because of his negligence in not completing his job. Fortunately the postal worker who daily delivers my mail, saw the same young man, and reported him to his supervisor, which will hopefully prevent this problem from recurring.

Remember: "A job halfway done ain't done."

3) While taking my morning walk and performing my morning exercises, I noticed a local heating and cooling company employee spending over an hour taking a nap on one of the tables at our local Veteran's Park. By napping on company time and expense, this employee was not doing the job he was assigned to do.

Remember: "A job halfway done ain't done."

Beloved, whatever job we are performing, let us remember my late father's above idiom and not only do the job with enthusiasm, but do it to the best of our God-given ability, and do it right the first time (noting Ecclesiastes 9:10 and 1 Corinthians 15:58 --- see here and here).

---Mike Riley, Gospel Snippets