Trust the Process
Motivational speaker Brian Tracy said, “It’s the unexpected that changes our lives forever.”
Parish family, I’d like to inform you that God has great things in store for you and me. Though life has attempted to bend us with the gravity of grief, we can rejoice in knowing that God has plans for us. While we may not find fault with God’s plans, we may question at times His process: The process of going through the uncultivated and uninformed places. I question at times when He takes me through situations that we never discussed. My response usually goes like this: “God, this isn’t what I expected. This isn’t what I prayed for. This isn’t what I believed for.”
God uses the story of Exodus 16 to encourage those who feel like He has taken them the long way to get to great places. It seems that God has us wandering in the wilderness, however, what we see as wilderness He sees as a process. Always remember that He is the God of intentionality.
Yet, the question remains: How do we find purpose in the seasons of our lives that look and feel as if we are going through the wilderness?
In the text below, the group of people often referred to as the children of Israel are God’s chosen people who have recently been released from Egyptian captivity. God raises Moses to lead them out of Egypt into Canaan, which is noted to be The Promised Land. It is important to note that the greatest difference between the two destinations is mutual exclusivity.
There is food in Egypt.
There is food in Canaan.
They have family in Egypt.
They have family in Canaan.
Though there are parallel similarities, there is a greater reality. God said that there is overflow in Canaan. This means the season of just enough is over once they make it to the Promised Land. The purpose of the process is so God can train us for the final product. Process is what produces the Fruits of the Spirit which are love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.
I believe even though the process didn’t always feel good to the children of Israel during the uncomfortable moments, the process gave them the ability to fully accept and take care of what was to come. Friends, don’t get discouraged. The wildernesses may be confusing but something good is waiting on you.
