Thursday, June 27, 2013

Process


It's been over a year since I last blogged and so much has changed. I'm no longer taking prerequisites for nursing. I'm now awaiting the response as to if I'm accepted into the program or not. That news will be given in the next few weeks. After working at Cuppa Joe for seven years, I finally got the courage and peace, by the grace of God, to step out of my comfort zone and work somewhere else. Since the beginning of the year, I've finally been working at my second official job at Applebee's. And, as of June 8, 2013, I'm married, to the man of my dreams. Jonathan Tyler Dietz. He loves me so well. He is so gentle, caring, and sincere. And the best part is he loves Jesus way more than he loves me. There have been many many other things that have occurred since I last blogged, but those are just a few of the highlights. And yes, saying that so much has changed is an understatement.

After a year of being home from my DTS, God really started to allow me to walk away from my old self and start the process of abiding in Him deeper and deeper. I cannot fathom how He continues to pour out the amount of grace, love, and patience I have unashamedly needed and will continue to need. What a process. Becoming the woman that God intends for me to be. I'm hungry for it, yet it's the process that sometimes slows me down. Process. I kind of have a bitter taste in my mouth when I hear that word. I shouldn't. I pray that God will help me to embrace the process. I know He will. And undoubtedly, He will teach me to embrace the process through a process
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Process. It's slow. It's long. It's painful. It's revealing. It's exciting. It's redeeming. It's exhausting. It's renewing. It's growing. It's life.

I once heard a sermon on how God works more like a crock pot rather than a microwave. To add just a little insight to that, here I go. A pot roast is such a delicious meal. Of course most people know to cook it in a crock pot. Which, this process takes nearly all day, starting it in the morning and having it finish up just in time for dinner. Now, if that same dish were to be attempted to be finished in a microwave with the same results, forget about it. It's not going to be the same. The long process of cooking the pot roast in the crock pot is going to bring it into completion and have it be what it was meant to be, at it's best too. And, God works with us similar to that. He would much rather have us live a life where we are growing closer to Him and allowing Him to bring us into perfect completion through quite a long process.

Not that it's the only factor, or culprit, to making it challenging for me to embrace the process, but I will say that this current "information age" really puts a damper on things. What I mean by that is so much of our current culture is instant. We don't have to go through any sort of process with technology. We can completely skip over the process and go straight to the results. We are so used to getting results without the effort that when a process to get the results we want comes our way, we stop. We come to a complete halt. I know I do it, so I can only imagine that there are others out there that do the same. People want to be great musicians, yet they don't want to put in the time and effort to learn the basics and start the process towards becoming a better musician.

These far too often occurrences of obtaining the results we want instantly is warping my perspective and mind on process. My natural tendency is now to avoid process. I want to be a registered nurse and the two-year program intimidates me. Process. A two-year process. But this can't be. It's not right. And it's not true. Process is nothing to be avoided. Embracing and enduring the process brings about so much growth, maturity, knowledge, understanding, and far more than anything that could be brought about instantly.

In fact, when I mentioned the three big changes in my life earlier, they were beautiful gifts brought about by processes. Finishing up my prerequisites for the RN program wasn't a quick process, but it was rather short and refueled my excitement for applying for the program. Also, when I finally made the change to work at Applebee's, I walked through a rather difficult process but I can't tell you how much I learned about myself and God's grace. It's been a great six months at Applebee's. I'm so grateful for that process and the process that it continues to be. And lastly, one of the most incredible changes has been my relationship with Jonathan Tyler Dietz. Exactly a year from when we started dating, we got married. Without the dating and engagement processes, we would not have the same foundation that we have now in our marriage.

Process is a blessing. Embrace the process. I know that I will do my best, with God's grace, love, and truth to embrace the process.

Jesus had to go through a very long, painful, dreadful, humiliating process. But in the end, the results were greater and more beautiful than any other process could have brought about. Jesus has given us more than life, but life abundantly. And better yet, He gives us processes that aren't nearly as costly as the one He had to go through.

Jesus gives us enough reason to embrace the process. Now, that, is one of the greatest understatements.

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