It's A Process.....

      I was messaging with someone on face book recently and the person typed 3 words that sent my mind running. My ears perked up, revelation began to kick in and I was like "whoa". The Words were simply "It's a Process". How many times have we heard those words? How many times have we read them? Sometimes, we can hear something and it will simply go in one ear and out the other. Words can pass us by like the wind. But, there are times when words can come and hit us right in the face. Stop us in our tracks and burn our hearts. They come alive and make us pay attention to them. This is exactly what happened to me when I read those words.  I literally had revelation dawn so fast on me that my thoughts could not keep up! If you can imagine something moving at the speed of light, you will get a visual of how I received these words!
    Basically, what DOESN'T have a process? We live in a World of process. Nothing just materializes out of nothing into something. They go through a process.  I LOVE how the Lord designed this physical world as a big parable to the Spiritual word and how He gives us revelation so we can get a better understanding of things. (Make sense?) We can "know" something and "hear" something but when God gives a revelation status to it, it gets SUPER POWERS. (smile!)  My mind was thinking on every process it could process! (smile) I marveled at the word! (Dictionary.com defines it as "continuous action, operation, or series of changes taking place in a definitive manner.) WOW. Can you SEE my hunger and excitement just by reading the definition? Keep in mind, I had heard those words countless times but it was THIS time that revelation flowed like a sentence on steroids.
     The Lord began to deal with me about seasons. For example: Summer into Fall. We don't lay down one hot Summer night and the next morning it is Fall. It doesn't work that way. The calendar may mark a day where it states "Fall begins" but in actuality, Summer was processing into Fall a long time before the calendar declared it. It gradually becomes cooler, the days gradually get shorter and shorter and the leaves gradually turn from a lush green to beautiful fall colors. To take it even further the trees move through a process all through fall, preparing themselves to go into a dormant, winter season. There are processes all around us! Process of growth, crawling to walking, Freshman status to Senior status, graduation. processed hair to natural hair. Whoa. (Had to add that!)
    I can go on and on but, I think you get it. So, the question is why do we get anxious and discouraged when things don't happen for us in the time we feel that it should or the way we want it to? We feel like we are being faithful and moving forward. We are examining ourselves. We feel like we're being led by God but, what's taking so long? Why during these times we begin to feel like we've "missed it"? We get frustrated and try to make things happen in our own strength? Why do we want to just give up? I think it's because we don't understand the process or get weary during it.  At least, that's what my deal was. A while back,  I had some things planned out. In my mind, I had steps set up like dominoes and I was going to knock them down one by one and keep it moving. Let's GO.  I was mentally checking off a list. What I didn't factor in was GOD'S TIMING and PREPARATION for the things I had planned! Sometimes we don't factor in those things He has to FIX in us or around us before we can move forward. (Proverbs 16:9 "A man's heart deviseth his way; but the Lord directs his steps.")   He takes us through a process. There was healing that needed to take place, deliverance, understanding. acceptance. We are moving through the process as long as we are moving forward and cooperating with Him and following His plan.  Physically, I might not be at MY goal yet but spiritually, HIS GOALS are being met in me! We don't need to rush it, fight it and we certainly don't need to give up on it! We need to rest in Him knowing that He is taking us through this process in His timing for our own good and for His Glory. The tree is not telling God to hurry up and change it's leaves from lush green to beautiful fall colors....it just stays planted and allows it's leaves to blow in the wind while trusting God to change it's seasons.  Get this... even when ALL it's leaves fall off in winter and it goes completely dormant, looking dead, it still stays planted. Why? Because I believe that the tree, even in the dormant state with no leaves is being and doing exactly what God would have it do in that season. That's beautiful isn't it? I hear ya' God! I got it. You get it? Stay planted and commune with Him. Enjoy Him. Trust Him without leaning on your own understanding. Move in what He will have you to move in and trust HIM to change your season!