Beauty in the Process

Lots of things in my life right now could be labeled “in process”. ( For those of you doing Beth Moore’s Bible study on James, these are the things that would be considered, “between the rains. “) In honor of Dr. Seuss’ birthday, I shall label these things, Things.

THING ONE:

The book.  Here’s a text conversation I had with Victoria last night:

Me:  “Bring your tax stuff when you come home this weekend…”

Victoria:  “Okay, I will.  What do the ellipses mean, though?” 

Me:  “They mean I have an unhealthy relationship with ellipses.  That’s all.” 

Victoria:  “Sad for your editor.” 

Editing a book is a laborious process and it makes you continually go back to the drawing board and say:  what do I really want to say?  In speaking, the message should be held to the plumb line of the thesis, but it’s only six pages of notes.  And if you go off course when you’re speaking, you have a chance to get things back on course because your audience is right there with you.  Writing is very different and very fascinating to me.  It’s a process.

 

THING TWO:

Thing two is the thing that shall heretofore be known as: my grandbaby.  He is still in process  despite all the signs that have pointed toward an early arrival.  It reminds me so much of the births of my babies and how time pretty much stood still in those last few days, waiting to meet and kiss and squish those littles. We know the apple will fall when it’s ripe, but sometimes a process as passive as waiting can be really exhausting.

 

THING THREE:

Thing three is my dear husband.  The world would say that he is suspended between diagnosis and death.  We know that he is traveling the road from sickness to healing (however that healing looks).  While we’re not sure where the process is leading, we only know that he is in it.

 

THING FOUR:

Thing four is humanity.  All of us.  Our world.  Whenever I think things are settled and peaceful here on our spinning globe, I need only pick up a newspaper to remember: process.   We’re in it.  We who lie beneath the sway of the heartache of sin occupy a spot in a world that is rapidly hurtling toward resolution.  But we’re not there yet.

 

I think that women in particular like to get things done and then neatly packed away.  My favorite moment on an airplane is tray tables stowed, seat backs in their upright position, because we are preparing to land this thing.   I love my outbox so much more than my inbox.  The best piece of the jigsaw puzzle is the last piece.

But God (how many brilliant sentences could be started and finished with those two words?) – being rich in grace and unfailing love, understands the beauty in the process.  He knows that the journey from point A to point B builds strength and endurance that we’ll need to face our new point A which is likely just around the next corner.  He knows and that’s why He doesn’t send us into it like a kid gets pushed into the water at a pool party.  He goes with us from beginning to middle to Are We There Yet to strange delay to I Will Never be Done with this Dumb Process to false finish to real finish to complete completion.   He places His mark at every milepost and when we look back in hindsight , we see the trail of tears that connects the dots and creates something beautiful…a masterpiece from what we thought was just meandering.

Whatever you’re waiting for today, wait with hope.  Look at the places your pain has taken you and gather up the flowers that grow by the side of this new road.  Let Him fill the pauses with His presence.  He meets us in the quiet, quirky seasons of life and He meets us in the middle of the process.

With hope,

Bo