Process

I think every day that God spends with us is kind of like Christmas morning to Him. He gets so excited to watch, listen and respond to us- and every time we unwrap another gift of truth from Him, I can just picture His eyes welling with tears and smiling from ear to ear. He is a God of process. He doesn't just tell us the answers. He doesn't just show us the easy way out.

When our small group discussed Noah and the Flood last week, all I could think about was the process that Noah and his family had to go through. God could have, so simply, killed and evaporated all the people from the earth and left Noah and his family safely alone. It would have been simple and quick. But no.. God makes Noah and his sons build this huge ark that takes forever and a day... and then ride in this ginormous boat with nasty animals and elephant poo and whiny family members for months and months. I wonder if they could hear the drowning going on outside of the ark... And while he was building the ark his neighbors were probably calling him an idiot.
I wonder if Noah ever thought how ridiculous it all was. He was a firm believer, so I wonder if He ever thought.. "okay God.. can you please just snap your finger and lift that pile of wood over there and finish this thing for me?" But God distinctly walked with Noah as he went through the steps of building, riding, waiting, learning, hoping and finally..thanking.

God is a God of process. In our own lives how many times have we been struggling through something and want it to just be over with. "If God would only rescue me from this right now.. If God would take away the pain I am feeling after a divorce.. If Christ would only show me the path I am supposed to take for a career. If only this cancer would be defeated...."

God loves to see us joyful and content... but He is also concerned with how we grow in our faith. Without experience, there is no growth. It is kind of the same idea as when a mother or father lets a child experience something for themselves.. because if they constantly are babied and never learn for themselves- then they never gain logic from the situation. Some things are too dangerous to experience ourselves and God will try His hardest to steer us from them (Just as a mother would NOT let her child stick its finger in an electrical outlet for the experience), God will not give us anything we can't handle- nothing that will harm our spirit. We do, however, tend to ignore Christ (What? Not me!) Yes.. probably you. Because I do sometimes.. and when I do, I stick my finger right in to that electrical outlet and get shocked every time. But when we are ready to listen to God again.. He is waiting.. and He will help us understand that what we did was detrimental to our faith, and shows us the truth in His word. (And..through processing our past..He is with us building our wisdom)

Christ is not concerned with a quick outcome- He is all about taking you by the hand and walking through the situation with you. So instead of asking for a quick "out" of your pain.. Find the truth and light of each day. See where the Lord is speaking to you in little moments of the "now" and stop searching for the "when". He is probably trying to show you a new chapter in your life.. a new gift ready to be unwrapped. He wants to be the one to give you insight and logic that will change how you view life.

He wants to be in your process.