Don't Rush

Well, it's been a few days huh? All 4 or 5 of you that check my blog (smile) must have been on your toes awaiting my next post. Right!

It's been an interesting week. I can't believe it's already Thursday. Did I mention we are going on a cruise? Oh and that we leave this weekend? Oh my goodness I am stoked!

So, the past few days...well, forget that...the past few months, I've been struggling off and on with just feeling overwhelmed. Some people would say, "With what?" since I don't work a "real" job. But, just with life and the things that come with it. I've constantly felt like I can't catch my breath and get a handle on my emotions, my worries, frustration. And it's begun to show. I catch myself aggravated so often and that is not what the Lord is pleased to see I know. And as I've said before, add a soon-to-be 3 year old to the mix and you've got a real situation. Nuff said?

I have heard of so many people dealing with depression, oppression, discouragement, feelings of failure, etc. lately that it is ridiculous. Some of these people you would never suspect it either. They hide it well. Then, the bottom falls out. People drop out of the choir at church, marriages are struggling, friends don't return phone calls, they just show up sporatically at church. I can't take it anymore! I've had it.

In the midst of all of our struggles, we tend to rush things. "God, why can't you hurry up and get me out of this mess?" "Hurry it up won't you!" "I've dealt with this long enough." "Gimme a break." I know I've been guilty of this.

I was reading my devotion today and it was talking about treading and trusting. Keep trusting in your Father and keep treading those waters, regardless of how troubled or rough they become. In that little devotion, I read such a powerful statement.

"To rush the process is to produce something of lesser value." Our lives are a collection of "processes" and as one ends, another process begins...better known as challenge or trial. There is so much value in our struggles. They occur for a profound purpose in our lives.

Here are a couple examples: If I put a frozen pizza in the oven for dinner and the instruction are to cook it for 14 minutes at 400 degrees. What will happen if I rush the process and cook it for 8 minutes? It will decrease in value because - ha - I won't be eating it. It won't be done.

If I rent a movie that I've been waiting to see and it is a full 2 hours long. I watch the first half and then get an invitation to go shopping, cut it off and return it on my way to meet a friend. How did it end? I rushed the process, decreased the value and I'll never find out. The money and time spent on it will mean nothing if I don't know the ending.

Oh here's a scary one: If I get up late in the morning and have to hurry to get out the door in time - I do only parts of my makeup and leave off all eye makeup and no lipstick. I rush the process and if you only saw how I would look - um yup...I would certainly decrease in value in your eyes. But, my girlfriends know that I would never leave like that right?

Get it by now? Sure you do. There is a purpose in a process. Say that 10 times fast. If you rush it and don't just tread and trust, some steps will indeed be missed and 1)You may not get to feast on the full blessings of God; 2) You may not find out how the ending was "supposed" to be; or 3) (like me w/o makeup) you may just find yourself in a scary situation.

I saw a quote today, "God won't give you more than you can handle. I just wish He didn't trust me so much."

He does trust you. He knows you can handle whatever process you are beginning or are already in. Keep treading those waters. They certainly will get rough. They may even suck you under here and there, but reach up your hand and hold onto His.

No need to rush things. He's by your side anyway.