My oldest daughter is helping with the presentation our Freedom Kids will be putting on this Sunday. When she came home after the first rehearsal I asked her how it was going. She said, "It's a 'trust the process' kind of thing." LOL! In other words, it didn't look like much in that first 45 minutes but experience tells us that it will come together in the end.
It made me think about Zechariah 4:10 which says, "Do not despise these small beginnings, for the Lord rejoices to see the work begin..." Sometimes the process we're in or the path we're on makes it hard to stay hopeful that God is at work or that it will be worth the effort. But God loves and is present in every part of the journey. Perhaps we could learn to love the process, trust the process, and not be too eager to rush through it.
Last Friday night, I spent three and a half hours in rehearsals. Some of that time was for vocalists getting ready for the coming Sunday, some was for musicians getting ready for this Sunday. It was the highlight of my week. Do I enjoy sharing the music with the whole congregation during services? Absolutely. But before we ever get to that, we have so much fun at rehearsal - laughing, eating snacks, figuring out hard chord progressions and harmonies... it's delightful. When I think about it, I know I wouldn't enjoy Sunday morning without these times behind the scenes. The process of preparing is in itself an act of worship; a beautiful, behind-the-scenes, offering of time, talent, effort, and relationship.
I can't wait until Sunday. It's going to be a great service with Christmas music, a choir, and a kids performance. We are going to tell the story of how Jesus came to be Immanuel, God with us. We're going to bless our neighbours with Christmas in the Neighbourhood afterward and have fun connecting. But I will be especially grateful for the small beginnings and will intentionally be enjoying every "trust the process" moment of our final rehearsals and preparations this week.
Maybe you can relate with something you're walking through in your life. Whatever it is, be encouraged. God rejoices to see the work begin. Don't despise these small beginnings. Remember that Jesus came as a helpless baby and those small beginnings changed the world forever. He loves the process and will be present with you in it.
See you on Sunday,
Pastor Tracy
THIS SUNDAY
SUNDAY, DECEMBER 815@ 10am
WHEN IN ROMANS
A Matter of Conscience
Tracy Dunham
Join us for our IN-PERSON SERVICES OR
LIVESTREAM on Sunday!
10:00 - Live Service & Kids Church (+Church Online)