I think the word “process” may have gotten a bad rap.

The truth is there seems to be a process to just about every-thing in life.

There is a process to grow a garden, for getting food from a field, for getting food from animals, for raising children, and a process for losing weight, etc.

We may not call it all a process, but that is indeed what it is, and it’s not bad, it’s just the way the world works.

Do we get a pass on the process sometimes? I believe so. But do we get a pass on the process all of the time? No, we don’t.

The struggle in our microwave generation is that we like things drive-thru style. We want them now.

I am not just talking about food, although that applies here too.

I am talking about the process of sowing and reaping. When I look back, I see how this principle has played out in my life; I just didn’t know what to call it at the time.

Sowing can be done with words, food, wisdom, encourage-ment, finances or even thoughts. The principal itself crosses borders and works in just about all areas of life.

Dr. Charles Stanley, one of my favorite Bible teachers, says, “You reap what you sow, more than you sow, and later than you sow.”

It’s one of those quotes you have to read and sit with for a minute to fully take in.

I liken it to a rosemary plant. I can plant one rosemary seed, and it will grow and grow and grow one seed will produce a lot of rosemary. I reaped way more than I sowed. Dr. Stanley says in his article on “The Principle of Sowing and Reaping”:

“The Lord gives principles in Scripture to serve as warnings and as an encouragement. In Galatians 6:7, His Word states, “Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, this he will also reap.” Every farmer understands the meaning of this principle.”

He continues, “The fact that we reap what we sow is good news for those who sow good habits, but a frightening thought for those currently involved in ungodly activities such as pro-miscuity, drug and alcohol abuse, neglect of family, or mis-treatment of others in order to climb the ladder of success. We cannot sow crabgrass and expect to reap pineapples. We cannot sow disobedience to God and expect to reap His bless-ing. What we sow, we reap. Let us not deceive ourselves: We will reap the harvest of our lives.”

“This same principle is a comforting and reassuring thought to those who faithfully labor under difficult circumstances. “For whatever a man sows, this he will also reap.” Faithfulness in such situations will produce a rich harvest in the future, for our heavenly Father always keeps His promises.”

Here’s an interesting thing about process as it relates to one of our favorite beverages…

According to the National Coffee Association, there is a ten-step process that a seed must go through before it hits your cup in the morning.

Farmers take a field through a process somewhat like God takes us through life. The farmer will cultivate, irrigate, fertilize, and plow as part of his process or journey for his beloved field.

He wants that seed to grow into the flourishing stalk of corn it was always meant to be. In the same way, our Creator wants to help us grow into all we were meant to be.

In my experience, it is a very personal process specifically designed for each individual. We should be careful not to com-pare ourselves—each Child of God is in their own process. Scripture says that God knows every hair on our head and His thoughts of us outnumber the sand of the sea. I am from Southern California and grew up near the beach. Trust me; there is a lot of sand. He knows us very well.

I think one misconception about God is that He doesn’t care about us, but that couldn’t be further from the truth. He cares so much He can’t stop thinking about us. And this process He takes us through isn’t punishment, if anything, it’s the exact opposite. He wants to see us bloom into the beauty which He created.

His heart for us is to become all He created us to be, and the truth is that takes a process that often feels like a journey to an unknown destination.

The key here is to remember that there is gold all along the trail. There is always so much to learn on the journey and if we see it for the adventure that it is, we can and will find joy in it, which is what our Creator wants for us, joy.

Don’t ever give up on your process.