Half Harry earned his nickname. Known by everyone in town for half his life, Half Harry never finished anything. No matter what he attempted, he simply could not end what he started. It was not that he did not possess the necessary skills, Half Harry simply distracted himself. Curiosity moved him on. Half of his efforts, at least, were accomplished well.
Habits are unthinking repetitions and Harry excelled. Every time someone saw him coming, a silent chuckle and soft smile urged forward in their mind. No one minded his interruptions because each knew it would only take half the time.
Typical conversations with him filled the air with unfinished sentences and his stories were always short, left drifting on the wind, relying on his audience to imagine the end. Harry would begin by saying something like, “The other day I was walking along the lake, getting exercise, and suddenly, a bullfrog jumped. And well, you know.” Often his compatriots, dumbfounded, would stutter and say, “Well, uh, yeah, I guess so.” And Harry would move on.
Harry was a job-to-job man. No one was better than Harry at treating a full-time job as part-time. He was a mail carrier—to half the neighborhood. He was a football referee. Loved halftime. Harry delivered bread. Daily, he returned to the bakery with the bread truck half empty. Suspicions have it Harry’s propensity to half finish started the day-old bread store. Harry did odd jobs, too, sometimes for his neighbors, and sometimes for money, and well, you know.
Despite her attempts to lessen his daily portions, his lunch box came home half-full greeting his wife’s frustration. Harry’s poor wife was surely a saint and must have experienced soreness shaking her head. “Better to give more,” she thought. Keeping with his habit, Harry could never finish a meal. Eating out meant asking for half-portions.
One time, Harry started on a long trip across the country. Leaving Yulee, Florida, Harry ventured out with the intent of going to Los Angeles. Harry always wanted to see the big city and the Pacific. Fate is mysterious, but then Harry had a way of accommodating it, making it more predictable. Arriving in Sonora, Texas—yes, halfway—Harry decided to turn around and head back. Even predictable things cannot always be explained.
No area in his life escaped his habit, except one. When life brought Harry to matters of faith, he was all in. He read his Bible daily, attended Church every Sunday, gave more than his tithe, and spent time feeding the hungry in his community. Harry never believed with half his heart, he believed with all his heart. Go ahead and add strength, mind and soul to it, also. Harry could not hold back when it came to God. Harry did not stop at the ten commandments. He added Jesus’ two more commandments—you know them.
Ergo, everyone forgave Harry his habit. Because he loved them.
“Those who have ears to hear, let them hear” (Matthew 11:15, NKJV).