“Trust the process”

At some point in life we've all been in a season where we found it hard to trust that what was coming next was exactly what we wanted. Unfortunately, that’s not always how the dice rolls. This post is specifically inspired by past and current life events where I've found myself struggling to "trust the process." Before we dig deeper, let’s get specific on what process we're talking about...

I'm speaking on the process of trusting God through hard situations. As you begin your walk with God and things are going pretty smooth and calm then next thing you know you hit a brick wall. Suddenly there are so many questions and the most common one we ask is "God why?" These are the moments that doubt, discouragement, and frustration begin to creep their way in. The rough patches that we encounter can either make or break us. Often times we'll try to take things into our own hands and see how we can fix things. Eventually we have exhausted all our options and we finally turn to God and ask him to help us. How can we learn to trust God's way despite our doubt? Here are a few ways I've found to help with trusting him when things don't seem like they are in our favor.

Submit the Situation
In Proverbs 3:5-6 we are told to "Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him and he will make your paths straight." NIV

This verse is as straightforward as can be. God wants us to trust him enough to be willing to bring everything before him rather than thinking we have a better way because in reality we absolutely do not. It's easy for us to think we can figure everything out and believe that we have a better way, but God already knows what is ahead of us. Think of it like your parents advising you not to do something and we go ahead and try to do it in a way we think I’ll work and then we end up disappointed and run back to them. That's pretty much what happens when we choose to lean on our own understanding.

Pray for Peace
In Philippians 4:7 we find one of the many promises God has for us if we present all our prayers and needs before him. "And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." NIV
Speaking from personal experience there is nothing that can ever satisfy our desire for peace the way God does and like his word says it truly is beyond human understanding and cannot be explained.

Praise him through the storm and be still
Through the storms we go through in life we have to remember that just because the sun isn't out, doesn't mean that we should allow our joy to be hidden. This is the time to remind yourself of the good that God has done for you and praise him for those moments because if he did it once he'll do it again.

Psalm 46:10
"Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth."

Certain situations call us to put a pause to all our attempts of figuring things out, worry, and anxious thought. Sometimes we need to stop in our tracks and sink in the words from this verse, we think we always need to DO but sometimes we just need to STOP in our tracks. This verse calls for us to be still and allow God to work (TRUST HIS PROCESS). This is quite a faith tester because through a storm no one wants to be told to wait patiently but you will find that there is strength that comes from waiting on God.

Good Community
No one was built to do life alone and this is one of the greatest things you can do for yourself. Find a group of like-minded people; people who will be there for accountability, encouragement, and growth. Through community you equip yourself with people that will not only walk with you through what life throws at you but pray for you. I will forever emphasize surrounding yourself with a group of people that will challenge your faith.

There are so many ways to understand and learn how to trust God and they can all be found through Gods word. It's a leap of faith but if you're not stepping out of your comfort zone then are you really allowing room for growth. ​We have to be willing to let go of ourselves and trust His process.Don’t worry about sounding professional. Sound like you. There are over 1.5 billion websites out there, but your story is what’s going to separate this one from the rest. If you read the words back and don’t hear your own voice in your head, that’s a good sign you still have more work to do.

Be clear, be confident and don’t overthink it. The beauty of your story is that it’s going to continue to evolve and your site can evolve with it. Your goal should be to make it feel right for right now. Later will take care of itself. It always does.