I find myself in a very unusual place lately. It can only be described as walking on ground that I’ve not been on or even seen before. And I have to say, it’s so uncomfortable that I think I may even be in someone else’s shoes! Like everything in my world, it has to have a name, so I have risen to the challenge and simply called it, “The process.” I have defined it as, “The journey on my way to a destination that is beyond my view, but not out of my realm of belief.” The Bible says that as a man thinks, so is he. So having said all of that, allow me to tell you who I am on any given day lately. I am a determined runner, rain or shine or extreme humidity. I am a baker of multiple desserts on any random day, with no special occasion to celebrate. I can almost count on one hand the amount of sleep I am actually getting every night, and excessive caffeine intake is not to blame this time. Described as an extreme sanguine personality by nature, I am currently the quietest and most removed from “sanguinicity “ that I can ever remember. All of these things are as I think, and so I am. But all of these things also fall under the phrase that I have recently been using with my husband and my closest friends: “Respect the process.” (The “Please” is implied.)

Each one of us are created so wonderfully different and are so uniquely designed that to require me to explain how I work through challenges and process God’s directions for my life would depreciate the value of who I actually am. The same goes for every individual person who lives and breathes. That’s why it came as such a surprise to me when all of my methods of “the process” came together AT ONE TIME!? I mean, when I need to think or hear the Lord, I am known to run. When I have to make a decision or confront a situation, I usually bake. When I’m under pressure or facing a deadline, even as unavoidable as scheduled childbirth, I function on little sleep! And being quiet? Removed from the center of any party or hoopla? NEVER! So to recognize that all of these mechanisms have kicked into high gear at the same time could only mean one thing: the next chapter in my life is going to be Gooood with a capital “G.”

To really perceive that the outcome of what I’m actually steeped in at the moment will result in something very good takes an extreme amount of faith on my part. Anyone who has all of their process mechanisms functioning at the same time must be under a tremendous amount of pressure, and usually, looking for the light at the end of the tunnel is the main objective. But I’ve made the decision to engage all of my God-given strengths and press on with positivity, communication, strategic thinking and a little help from my friends. But I also know that none of these characteristics will alter the end result; they will only build my character and increase my faith. It’s all an exercise in faith-building for me right now. I find myself reminded of how God is for me, and how He knows the end from the beginning. How His plans are to prosper me, and not to harm me, to give me a hope and a future, one that will bring honor and glory to His Name. And I also have confirmed for myself, once again, that no matter what, I will not bow to any force or power that is not the one true God Who saved my life. Ultimately, the outcome will be good, not because of anything I’ve done or neglected to do, but because God is good, and He loves me.

What could be happening in my life that is so serious that I am sharing it so openly with friends and strangers? It could be anything. It could be nothing. The ultimate message is about defining the process. For me, it’s a mix of sweat and tears with a little bit of quiet baking added in. In all of it, the process is refining me, strengthening my will, and defining me even more as a wife, mother, daughter, and friend. I quietly laugh when I think that, in a few months, this season will be a memory, and I will look back and barely be able to recognize a version of who I was as I worked through the process to find the person I am created to be.

Everyone’s process is different and triggered by different events and seasons but nevertheless relevant and necessary in each individual’s life. The other day a close friend of mine had a situation come up, and the outcome was not what she expected, not even close. She couldn’t think straight, she couldn’t talk about it, and her head began to spin with the events of the day. Later that evening I saw her husband and asked how she was doing in processing the events of the day. He laughed as he said she had put on her pj’s, climbed into bed, and asked for a few hours to sleep it out. I smiled, with tears in my eyes, not only because she’s a dear friend that I love, but because she was entering into her own version of the process. And like I always say: “Respect the process; be amazed by the result!”

Marsia Van Wormer

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