Progress

I have to re-remind myself sometimes about the nature of progress. I find myself unconsciously thinking that life happens in a straight line. I seem to think that I will realize or recognize some issue in my life, put in a place a single, clear plan to address it and then that will be that.

What I then have to realize is that life doesn't usually work that way. Maybe if we lived in Eden, and there was still a need for growth & refinement, the process would be smooth. But, we live in a fallen world, and the thorns in our flesh don't always fall away without issue. Sometimes they do, and that's wonderful when it happens. But I need to remember to give myself grace and have patience for the process of change.

As metals are refined, the skimming of the dross is a slow, step by step process. When wood is whittled away to reveal the art underneath, as envisioned by the Maker, and when our hearts and lives and reshaped and changed, it takes time, and it takes process. The rushing water of the ocean takes years to smooth the stones into the works of art that reflect the beauty of the world around them, so I use these examples to remind us all that sometimes the crags and rough edges are just markers of a spot in a longer process. Trust Him for the journey, and we will get there right in time.