Prelog: Because You Can’t Let Your Mom Down
(and respectfully, Max, who is pacing beside me)
I didn’t plan on writing a Prelog.
Most books don’t have one. And if they do, it’s usually an academic thing. You know—“this is what you’re about to read and why it matters” kind of formality.
But this is not that.
This is something different.
This is a promise.
Because here’s the thing…
I made a promise to my mom.
A quiet one. A proud one. A sacred one.
I told her this book would reach 55,000 words.
And I’ve always believed that if you say something to your mom, especially something that matters to her, you follow through.
Even if it takes a few extra pages.
Even if the dog is hungry.
Even if you’re a few hundred words shy and the couch is calling your name.
You don’t let your mom down.
You honour your word.
Because promises matter.
Why This Promise Was Personal
This wasn’t about perfection. My mom didn’t need 55,000 words to be proud of me.
But I needed it.
Not because of ego.
Because of honour.
Because she believed in this book when it was still just an idea in my spirit. When it was still just late-night conversations and scribbled notes on the corner of receipts. When it was prayers spoken with both hope and hesitation.
And when I said, “Mom, I’m going to do this. I’m going to write it—start to finish. And it’ll be 55,000 words…”
She smiled.
She said, “I know you will.”
And in that moment, I made a commitment.
So here we are. Prelog and all.
Because that’s what we do when we’ve made a vow worth keeping.
We finish.
The Word Has Something to Say About Keeping Your Word
The Bible doesn’t take promises lightly.
In fact, it teaches us that our yes should mean yes—and our no should mean no.
Matthew 5:37 (Jesus speaking) says:
“Let your yes be yes, and your no, no. For whatever is more than these is from the evil one.”
That’s strong.
But it’s also clear.
When you say you’re going to do something, you do it.
Even if it costs you sleep.
Even if it costs you comfort.
Even if it costs you a whole Prelog.
Psalm 15:1-4 gives us a picture of the person who lives in integrity:
“Lord, who may dwell in your sacred tent?
Who may live on your holy mountain?
The one whose walk is blameless…
who keeps an oath even when it hurts, and does not change their mind…”
That’s what I want to be.
Someone who keeps their oath—even when it hurts.
Even when it’s inconvenient.
Because it’s not about word count—it’s about weight.
The weight of our words.
The weight of the people who believe in us.
The weight of a promise made, and the integrity it takes to keep it.
Especially When It Comes to Family
Let’s be real: honoring commitments to family isn’t always flashy. It’s not public, it’s not always celebrated, and sometimes it’s behind-the-scenes.
But in the Kingdom, it’s everything.
Exodus 20:12 says it clear as day:
“Honor your father and your mother, so that you may live long in the land the Lord your God is giving you.”
This was one of the Ten Commandments. Foundational. Non-negotiable.
Not just for kids. For all of us.
Why?
Because family is where we first learn what love is supposed to look like.
Because parents, at their best, model the grace, discipline, and faithfulness of God.
And when we honour them—we’re honouring the Father.
Even when it’s through something small.
Even when it’s a quiet Prelog written at the end of a very long day, when the only other sound in the room is the gentle (but persistent) huff of a dog who’s ready for his evening kibble.
Three Ways to Honour Commitments—Especially to Family
So how do we do this? How do we live a life that doesn’t just keep promises but honours them?
Here are three simple but Spirit-led truths to anchor your heart in:
1. Let Your Commitments Be Anchored in Love, Not Obligation
There’s a difference between doing something because you have to and doing something because you get to.
Love changes the tone.
Love reframes the act.
When I sat down to write this Prelog, I didn’t say, “Ugh, now I have to write 5,000 more words because I told my mom I would.”
I said, “I love my mom. I love that she believes in me. And I love what God has done through this journey.”
Love changes everything.
1 Corinthians 13:1 says:
“If I speak in the tongues of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal.”
Even if I hit the word count.
Even if the sentence structure is perfect.
Even if every theological point is sharp and scripturally sound.
If I don’t write this with love?
Then I’m just noise.
So let your commitments be rooted in love. Always.
2. Do It Quietly—and Let God Get the Glory
You don’t need a round of applause every time you follow through.
Jesus actually taught the opposite.
Matthew 6:4:
“Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.”
Some of the most Kingdom-shaking commitments are honoured in silence.
That call you made when no one else would.
That prayer you prayed for a family member who didn’t know you were fasting for them.
That promise you made to your dad to fix the porch, and you did it after work in the rain.
Quiet faithfulness is loud in heaven.
And God remembers every act of obedience.
3. Follow Through—Even If You Have to Crawl to the Finish Line
You won’t always feel it.
You won’t always want to.
But sometimes the most powerful thing you can do is just finish what you started.
Galatians 6:9 reminds us:
“Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.”
Some commitments don’t look like success until the very end.
And if you’re in a season where your promise feels heavy, where you’re wondering if you can even finish what you said you’d do—let me tell you this:
You can.
By the Spirit.
Not in your own strength. But in the power of the One who never broke a single promise He ever made.
So What’s the Point of This Prelog?
It’s not just to reach 55,000 words.
It’s to show you something deeply important:
Faithfulness matters.
Not just in chapters and checklists.
But in the quiet promises we make to the ones we love.
In the words we say that build trust.
In the actions that prove we meant it.
If you’ve read this far, you’re probably a promise-maker yourself.
You’ve made vows to your family. To your friends. To God.
And maybe you’ve broken some.
We all have.
But maybe today’s the day you circle back.
Maybe today’s the day you pick that promise back up, dust it off, and say:
“Let’s finish this.”
For your kids.
For your mom.
For your Heavenly Father.
And maybe even… for Max.
OK… Max Is Really Hungry Now
I can’t lie to you.
Max is giving me the look.
You know the one.
The “I’ve supported your entire creative process, I’ve laid quietly by your side, I’ve sacrificed my dinner for this book… and now it’s time for you to make it right” look.
So I’m going to feed him.
Because I made a promise to him too.
And you know by now—I keep my promises.
But before I close this Prelog, let me say this:
I Love You.
I mean that.
Not in a cheap, end-of-the-book kind of way.
I mean it in the kind of way that says, “Thank you for spending your time here.”
“Thank you for letting my words sit with you.”
“Thank you for walking through this book with me.”
You matter.
Your heart matters.
Your promises matter.
And your story is not finished.
So whatever it is you’ve committed to—whatever vow you made before heaven and earth—keep going.
Let the Spirit strengthen you.
Let love anchor you.
Let Jesus carry you.
And if no one’s told you lately, let me say it again:
I love you.
I’m proud of you.
And I look forward to meeting you soon.
Thank you.
Prelog complete.
Word count met.
Dinner served.
Kingdom still growing.
And Max?
Well, Max is finally eating.
And everything is just as it should be.
Absolutely amazing! So much truth! Always thankful for your words & your follow thru!
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