Day 28: It Takes Time

I really wanted to put "Time" in all caps, for myself mostly.

In the meanwhile, best to get on my way of catching up. I don't want to fall behind now, especially since my next week is pretty crazy (OLOF and YES tomorrow, Monday ASB (After School Band) and choir rehearsal (I don't have to go since I can't do Friday night's performance, but that's all the more reason I want to go!), Tuesday S&E rehearsal at DeLand HS, Wednesday SBC orchestra, Thursday S&E rehearsal at Mainland HS, Friday ASB and S&E at Deltona MS (the actual event), Saturday rehearsal with Ginny in the morning sometime and 1 event (I think only one anyway) for S&E, and then it'll be a normal Sunday I think. A three day weekend is in my near future (President's Day) but it looks like I'll be earning it again).

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Great statement from the beginning of this chapter: we are concerned with how fast we grow, whild God is concerned with how strong we grow. We are so concerned with the fastest way, but it is not always the best way. If we were to keep His view of eternity in our minds, we would probably change a lot of how we act and think. I really enjoy the war analogy used for how Christ works in us: He might start out bombing us to soften us up, and establishing beach heads, and eventually taking over all territory.

The book lists a few reasons why it takes a long time to change, and also gives us ways to help us see and continue progress towards God's ultimate goal. As a race, we are slow learners. Just look at the Israelites. Second, we have to unlearn a lot. We don't develop bad habits overnight; why do we expect to conquer them in a day? After all, habits take time to develop. I didn't become an excellent sightreader by just willing it to happen and working on it once. I became a sight-reading maniac: musicals, accompanying, using it as a warm-up, filling in for rehearsals. . . really the biggest way I became a great reader was when I started musical theater, and from then (my first show I played piano in was junior year of HS; I was 16 I think. . . Guys and Dolls) I got way better (and now I'm on like show 12 or 13. . . and I can still improve!). One great thing about being a musician is that I have seen what time and practice can do (and have a great appreciation for delayed gratification. . . like starting music in June for a recital in February). Another problem is that we are afraid to humbly face the truth. We don't like to feel bad about ourselves, so instead of facing our problems, we ignore them or shove them aside. We cannot get better at something we are not working actively to fix! Finally, growth can be painful and scary. This is all the more reason to get hooked up with a group of believers who will support you. We don't like change because it is uncomfortable and unfamiliar. Even if it's changing something we don't like, it's still tough, and we end up falling back to old habits because we know them so well. Also, sometimes our problems is how we have aligned our identity. But, when we accepted Christ into our lives, we put on a new self.

So what can we do to help our maturity? First, we believe God is working in our lives, even when we can't see it. It's kind of like weight loss; you have to wait a little bit to see results. Working out for a week doesn't make us start shedding pounds, but if we keep with it, we see progress over time. That's one thing I like about WiiFit; you can look at a graph of your progress. Although I'm still trying to get back to where I was before Christmas break (sadness. . . haha) I'm still a considerable amount less than when I first bought the game, so I know that my 153 days of working out have not been in vain.

Second, we can keep a notebook of lessons learned. As I mentioned above, a visual representation is something that can be used as a reference and see that what we are doing is actually progressing us somewhere. It's the reason we record practice times and rehearsals; it allows us to see where we've come from and where we are going.

Third, we have to be patient, both with God and ourselves. Our timetables and God's generally do not line up very well. Another song from my childhood comes to mind: if we stay focused on Him, we will remember He is in total control. I love this: "When God wants to make a mushroom, he does it overnight, but when he wants to make a giant oak, he takes a hundred years." I know I don't want to be a mushroom!

Finally, we must not get discouraged. After all, although we might not be where we want to be, we have probably come quite far from where we used to be. For me, I know the past few months (and even really the past few weeks) have been a spiritual springtime; lots of growth, blossoming, and ripening of things long since frozen in the winter of my college and even somewhat my HS years. It's very exciting for me to be experiencing these changes, and I keep seeking more and more information as each day passes. But I also know that soon, my resolve will be tested, and for a while I won't be in the process of discovering and starting change but establishing the changes I've been making, digging my roots deeper and deeper into Him.

Point to Ponder: There are no shortcuts to maturity.
I know I can be impatient, but I think a lot of it is fueled from finally seeking and knowing something that I want in my life. It's not bad for me to throw myself completely into it, but I need to remember that I only know a small portion of the picture right now.

Verse to Remember: Philippians 1:6- "God began doing a great work in you, and I am sure he will continue it until it is finished when Jesus Christ comes again." New Century Version
I could argue that this began all the way back to me being a 3 or 4 year old at MGBC. And a few years after that, God made His beachhead in my life when I was in Sparks (AWANA), and never left me alone, even through all I went through with the break-up of MGBC and the whole craziness that is a 4-year college degree at a public institution (and a music degree no less).

Question to Consider: In what area of my spiritual growth do I need to be more patient and persistent?
I don't know if this is stupid to say, but I need to patiently work out being patient! The best teacher is experience, after all. . .