Wednesday's Word...3/20/13

Ever find yourself driving quickly to get somewhere even when you're not in a hurry? On a vacation, I typically drive fast to get to wherever I am going because I am excited to get there and hit the beach, get to the condo, or whatever. After vacation though, I find myself rushing home. I'm not in any particular hurry. I don't have anywhere to be right away. So why do I rush?

I constantly find myself driving home on Hwy. 55 running 70+ MPH...I mean...55 MPH. I've been thinking about that recently, wondering why I do that. I realized that I don't like the process of getting to where I am going. I like to be at the destination.

Going back to my vacation analogy...aren't some of the best memories made during the car rides? I can think about my childhood and the funny stories we can tell that happened in the car, in the process of getting to where we are headed.

Transition has been a word we've used a ton recently at the church and in my own ministry. I think we can all relate. When we can see the destination we get frustrated with the process. 

Everyone must go through the process. There is no progress in our lives if isn't for the transitions or process. Consider this:

- David was anointed King of Israel by Samuel...but had to wait a long time before taking office, working for insecure leader.

- Even Jesus lived in obscurity for 30 years before beginning His ministry.

I am learning to stop whining and stop wanting the end results and starting to want God to develop me into who He wants me to be.

The process isn't always fun. Life isn't about being someone or something, but about "becoming" who God intended you to be: made like Christ. I am reminded of what the Apostle Paul wrote in Philippians 1:6:

And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ. - Philippians 1:6, ESV

May you begin to slow down, look around you, look at your frustrations, failures, wounds, and pains and see that you are a work in progress. May you see you are headed towards a destination you may not yet know, but that you are in the hands of the Most High God and there is no better place to be.