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How many times in your life have you looked back over the evolution of a certain situation and seen with complete clarity how all the steps were perfectly directed to arrive at the present conclusion? Yet, while you were on the journey, you couldn’t ascertain the outcome and had no understanding of what each “step” would mean to the eventual resulting set of circumstances. It is one of the reasons that we say “hindsight is 20/20”.
But what if there were a way to have 20/20 vision while you are still on the journey, before the resolution is revealed to you? How different would your daily mindset be? How would this knowledge impact your life?
Deepak Chopra says that pure FAITH is “the ability to step into the unknown and be comfortable with uncertainty”. As we grapple with the challenges in our lives, wouldn’t it change our whole perspective if we could get “comfortable with uncertainty”?
Well, we CAN, and we do that by “Trusting the Process”. When you pray about a situation, God IS listening and he IS responding. But sometimes we don’t recognize his responses because they don’t take the form that we expect. When you align yourself to be in regular communion with God, praying “constantly” by having an ongoing conversation with your Creator, you will gain the insight that allows you to truly “Let Go and Let God” work in your life. You understand that what you may perceive as a setback may instead be a shortcut on the journey to where God is leading you.
And you learn to trust that God may be directing you to somewhere other than where you were expecting to go! But by “trusting the process”, you will see the realization of even greater blessings than you could have imagined for yourself. Instead of getting frustrated and angry when things don’t go your way, you can relax when you accept that they may very well be going God’s way instead. And his way is perfect--he knows us completely, he knows what we need, when we need it, and what we need to LEARN along the way. He also knows the best way to teach those lessons to us. Many of the “aggravations” that plague our daily lives are simply opportunities designed for us to grow and learn valuable life lessons that we may not be able to learn any other way. And don’t forget that he is utilizing your life to teach and impact others as well!
That annoying acquaintance who is always boasting about their accomplishments, or their children’s achievements, may in reality be an insecure, unhappy individual that God has placed in your path so that you can demonstrate his unconditional love, his mercy, and his forgiveness. He may be using you to reach them and he may be trying to teach you a lesson about patience, humility, compassion for others, and how to see those around you through his eyes. They may be in your life so that you are challenged to learn to “love your neighbor as yourself”.
That new set of responsibilities your boss just “dumped” on your desk, may very well be the key to a future promotion, could be teaching you a new skill set that you can use to further your career, or may be necessary in your next position. Don’t forget, God can see into the future; we can’t. So doesn’t it stand to reason that we should rely on his judgment? Besides, an employee who cheerfully accepts new duties is perceived as much more valuable than one who consistently grumbles and complains about being given more “work”.
And if you lose a job or a promotion, instead of being disappointed or frightened, what would happen if you instead started seeking God’s next “open door” for you? What if you trusted that the door he will open is even better than the one that was closed--wouldn’t you be more peaceful and confident? And those traits are attractive to employers. Many more doors will be open to someone who radiates a sense of calm, composure and self-assurance than will be to one who exhibits fear and anxiety. So simply by changing your mindset, trusting God, and trusting the process, you will be adopting the very attributes that will ultimately bring you a better job and greater success that you would have achieved if you had stayed where you were. Just ask the number of entrepreneurs in the world who wouldn’t have had the courage to start their own businesses if they hadn’t first been fired.
“I pray that God, the source of hope, will fill you completely with joy and peace because you trust in him. Then you will overflow with confident hope through the power of the Holy Spirit.” ~ Romans 15:13
When we learn that the only things we can control in this life are our choices and our attitudes--not the outcomes, not the consequences, not other people or their reactions, then we are FREE to completely trust God for our answers, our resolutions to problems, and our futures. And if we trust that because of our prayers, God is actively working to direct our lives towards our best outcome, then it becomes much easier to “trust the process” and view the steps along the way as important and necessary, even if we don’t yet understand them or even like or agree with them!
You may be asking yourself how, in the midst of a crisis, can you remember to trust the process. We have all seen the “Stop—Children at Play” signs along the roadways and in our neighborhoods. Well, we have signs along the roadways of our lives as well. Just visualize a “STOP—God at Work” sign whenever you need a gentle reminder of how to respond to negative situations that appear along your path.
Dan Caro is one of those “signs” and can teach all of us much about trusting the process. He is an extraordinary example of “God at Work”. At the age of two, he sustained third degree burns to 70% of his body when the pilot light of the hot water heater ignited the gasoline fumes in his family’s garage. He subsequently lost his right hand and most of his left hand and still carries the severe scars left from that tragic day. But listening to this young man’s tale of triumph over tragedy is a testament to the power of CHOICE. Despite his accident, the horrific pain, the numerous surgeries he has endured and the physical and emotional trauma he experienced, he has chosen to be positive, upbeat and inspirational. He has learned to play the drums and is a well-respected musician. He considers this experience a gift that allows him to inspire others as he travels, sharing his story of hope, faith and trust. He even titled his book, which is coming out next year, The Gift of Fire. Now THAT is “Trusting the Process”!
For us to embrace this mindset, all that is necessary is that we TRUST that God is working the BEST possible way for the BEST possible overall result—one that blesses us and glorifies him. One that moves us a step closer to becoming all that he intends for us to become. One that helps us to grow, to learn, to mature. And one that sets the stage for the next steps in the next journey of our lives. God can take even the most painful and harrowing of circumstances and use them for our good and his glory—if we make the choice to trust.
When you choose to live your life this way, you will find that everyday disappointments don’t have the same impact that they used to. You will no longer be a “victim” to your circumstances. You will have discovered the power of CHOOSING your mindset, your attitude and your feelings. And you realize that this world, its people, and its events no longer hold power over you. You will experience greater Peace and Joy in your everyday existence. You will uncover the hidden opportunities presented within the challenges you face and ultimately attain the precious treasure of WISDOM. Remember, True Wisdom flows from God and comes to those who are not jaded by experience or circumstance, but enlightened because of it!
So the next time you start to feel upset, frustrated, or disappointed with the situation in which you find yourself, just stop, ask for God’s divine wisdom, and remember to TRUST the PROCESS—God IS at work!
“You will keep in perfect peace all who trust in you, all whose thoughts are fixed on you.” ~ Isaiah 26:3
You can learn more about Dan Caro at his website: www.dancaro.com.
Deborah J. Thompson is a writer, artist and Stephen Minister. Her articles are published by Crosswalk.com and "The Fish" family of Christian radio station websites around the country. She shares "Reflections" on Life and Marriage on her website, www.inspiredreflections.info. And she is working on her first book, Your Life, Your Choice, which gives 5 simple steps for bringing more Love, Joy and Peace into your life. Join her on Facebook and Twitter/InspireReflect.
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