The Process, NOT the Product

Here’s the thing about Americans: We like results.  Quickly. Hence, the rise of microwave and the fall of any potential “cooking” career for Laura.  “Before” and “After” pics -whether they be people, projects, or even doggie haircuts- are mesmerizing.  A good success story = Cinematic gold. But watching the struggle to arrive at the “after” is less appealing.  Because, in the moment, you can’t tell if the outcome will be failure or triumph.

One of the most difficult things about being a Jesus follower is pretty much the whole “following” part.  Obedience. Surrendering your ego in the pursuit of a cause more significant and worthy than human desires.  Attempting to shed our pride daily, in favor of humility and kindness, isn’t exactly the most easy or natural task.  I, for one, suck at it. But THIS is what God asks of those who believe in Him.

And the Bible is chock-full of feats of obedience.  Like advanced-level stuff: Abraham’s divine directive to sacrifice Isaac, his ONLY son through whom generations of descendants were promised, on a Mt. Moriah altar.  God’s terrible battle plan for defeating Jericho: March around the strongly fortified city and blow trumpets. (Um, what?) And Jesus’ invitation for Peter to walk out and meet Him on top of stormy waters.

However, culmination of previous accounts reveals: A renewed and empowered belief in the saving grace of God.  A conquered city and the fulfillment of a long awaited promise. A step of faith and opportunity to grow.

These outlandish (and seemingly severe) directions ended up being undeniable junctures for God to exert His power.  Because, simply put, nothing else made sense. The humans weren’t receiving credit for their exceptional planning in the afore-mentioned scenarios.  A marching band doesn’t cause a city’s battlements to collapse by playing REALLY loudly. (And thank JC for that, or E and his trombone would’ve reduced our house to rubble LONG ago.)

Pastor Brandon Shank, visiting from our LifeHouse sister church in Virginia Beach, recently preached a sermon reinforcing this concept.  Upon relocating to VA for the church plant, his family (wife and 2 young boys) felt called to buy a home adjacent to the city’s notorious housing projects.  The place quickly lived up to its reputation. Within weeks of moving there, Brandon overheard gunshots responsible for a homicide in the neighborhood. But, confident in God’s guidance, his family stayed to invest in their community.  They bought playground equipment and invited the local kids over. They threw cookouts and parties. They painstakingly established their home as a safe place with open doors for all neighbors. Meaningful progress -hard fought hope- was happening.  Fast-forward a couple of years to Brandon getting another nudge about their home, but -confusingly enough- it was an urging to place it on the market. Again responding to the Spirit’s leading, they put a “For Sale” sign in the front lawn. That summer they had 35 showings, no offers.  Disheartened and perplexed, they took a break and removed their home from active listings. It was during this time, that a pillar of the projects’ community approached Brandon. He explained how the “For Sale” sign in B’s yard shook the neighborhood. How people confessed their fears that -if the Shank family left- things would “go back to the way they used to be.”  Brandon was flummoxed and told God as much. “How can we possibly move away from these connections? What should we do?” His audible back: “No matter if you stay or go, I will bless you.” So, they decided to stay. Guess who got a phone call with a full price offer for their home the Very.Next.Day? They had to turn the realtor down several times and finally tell him, “We’re living here until we die” to stop his persistent negotiation tactics.

Referencing this story later, I said to David, “What the heck was God’s purpose behind THAT whole exercise?  It was redundant and unnecessary to put their family through it!” And David, being David, said something profound like, “Increasing faith and learning obedience is never unnecessary.”  As much as I hate to admit it, I’m a results girl. And if the “process” doesn’t produce a shiny, exciting outcome, I write it off as a less significant or unworthy venture. But David and Brandon and Jesus would argue: Sometimes the process IS THE POINT, regardless the final product.  Maybe it’s the hard work of those in-between times, our daily trials and slow turns in the Refiner’s fire, that prove most consequential in light of eternity. Maybe the space smack in the middle of “Before” and “After” matters more than we’ll ever know. Maybe we need to stop asking questions, pick up a trumpet, and march around a city.  Not because it makes sense, but because God asked us to do it. Can you imagine the countless walls *just waiting* to fall at the sound of our collective faith rising to its feet?