I'm Ready: Understanding Slowness, Enduring the Process, and Releasing Fear

I usually don't do midweek posts unless SOMETHING happens like it did on July 10.  Remember SOMETHING happened that day.

Today I have some extra time since clients switched training days so I thought I would share a little of what God and I have been talking about these past few days.

Now I don't like slowness.  To me slowness means you're not interested, you aren't serious, and we aren't going to get anything done.  I like action.  I also end up crashing, burning, and making a complete mess of things because I just like to bulldoze ahead.

With everything in my life this season, I am realizing that for SUSTAINABLE and LONG TERM success that there has to be a PROCESS.  Nothing that lasts just happens overnight.  

Understanding Slowness

During my Monday Morning Power Hour, TD Jakes said something that led to the light bulb going off in my head.

He said:  "Slowness does not indicate a lack of interest.  It's usually caused by fear that the person has not been that way before.  It is also caused because the person is fearful that they will be found out to be inexperienced in that area and they will be seen as a disappointment".

Talk about insight.  

I'm the type of person that if someone is not declaring their undying love for me in the first 10 minutes, I'm not sure if they are really interested and this is a waste of time.  

And I wonder why God has had to take me on this extended journey....

In the past I have made a complete mess of things because people were just too slow for me.  Things weren't going fast enough so I was going to push them annnnnd crash and burn.  This all goes back to the selfish ambition, inconsiderate, and accomplishment thing.  

I never took the time to think about anyone else's story or feelings.  I just needed to get this off my list.

I'm ready to understand slowness

There's something.

I have known this for the last couple years.  There's something that I'm going to have to hear, understand, and get over.  Not sure what it is but it's something.  

I believe that what Jakes said is absolutely spot on especially when it comes to relationships.  The way this society approaches relationships is stupid.  We tell people to hoe around forever and then maybe you'll find someone you like, but what happens when you do find that someone and realize that you don't know how to really love and care for someone because you never have before.

A few days earlier I told God that I'm willing to wait as long as it takes for the person to move forward.  I will not push or try to race ahead.  I'm ready to understand the slowness and offer encouragement and support.

It's okay not to know, it's okay to take your time to understand how you're feeling, and it's okay to take your time to process what's going on.

Enduring the Process

Nothing just happens overnight.  It's all a process.  Sadly in our society we do not teach this to people anymore.  Everything is quick fixes and declare your love for me in 10 minutes.  If someone isn't trying to go home with you on the first night, then people (especially women) think the other person isn't interested.

Talk to any long lasting married couple and they will tell you that getting to know each other was a process.  Their relationship was a process.  Hopefully they started as friends and it went fromt here.

I'm Ready to Endure the Process

Well thankfully I've been in the accelerated refiners fire program this year so this process hasn't been too awful.  Truthfully I believe this process started about 3 years ago and after being a TERRIBLE pupil for about 2 of those years I've finally started to listen and we're FINALLY starting to see some results.

I'm ready to endure this process of becoming the woman who God has called me to be SO THAT I can fulfill the mission that I'm supposed to be on.

I'm ready to stay in the race and not give up.  I am learning the temptation to give up is so real.  Every time something doesn't happen the way we think it should or we make a mistake or don't follow the plan, it's so tempting to quit.  When things don't appear to be changing or moving it's easy to say "I'm ready to quit. It's not going to happen and it's a waste of time" but I'm saying...I'm ready to endure this process.

Although I do believe the prophetic word Pastor Patrick gave a few weeks ago that God is going to speed things up, when you're getting sooooo close every day feels like a week especially when the a-ha's are coming fast and furious.

But I'm ready to endure the process.  I'm ready to sit back, let God continue to do his thing in my life, get that inner work going and moving from there.

Releasing Fear

There's been a lot of talk around fear in my quiet time lately.  We talked a lot about how perfect love casts out all fear.  Jakes said that fear is torment.  I have prayed that my husband is no longer tormented by the fear that he is not good enough to be loved, the fear of being a disappointment, and the fear of trusting his instinct.

Who knows?  He may be reading this right now so here we go dude:   

Let me tell you something...You're right.  Your instincts are leading you right.  Just keep following them.  No matter how long it takes, how slow you go, or what others tell you.  You're right.  Just keep moving forward...God is working on me too and I've learned to do better. I won't be aggressive, pushy, and inconsiderate.   I'm praying for you every day to have courage and to release the fear in your life so that you can become who God has called you to be.  LOVE WINS!

I have no clue why I just wrote that, but I did.  I'm sure I'll find out why later.

I'm Ready to Release the Fear

I'm ready to release my own fears of being inferior, taking the chance when I'm not sure how things are going to turn out, and forming the connection that is going to lead to so many awesome changes and turn my life completely upside down.  

 I'm Ready

To God be the Glory