Publication date Oct 5, 2022

Have you allowed yourself to process, friend?

Publication date Oct 5, 2022

Oh, how excited I was to finally get the smartphone I'd wanted for so long! I quickly prepared everything to transfer the data from my old phone to the new one, but then when the process started, it didn't go nearly as fast as I'd expected. For what felt like an eternity, all I saw on my screen was "transfer in progress." I asked myself, "Is this right? Isn't something else supposed to be happening here?" I also briefly considered whether or not I should abort the process. When I asked a friend, he said, "That's absolutely normal. There's a lot happening in the background, and it takes time."

Then it clicked for me, friend. How often does a significant event happen in our lives—a wonderful evening, a tragic incident, or a nostalgic reunion—and we just move on without fully processing it? Without taking the time to properly "transfer" it into our hearts? In Judaism, for example, after someone passes away, the bereaved sits on the floor or a low chair for the first seven days. Seven days! Time is set aside to process what has happened.

If you take time like this when it's needed, you will ultimately gain time.

friend, I encourage you to consider when you last took the time to process something significant that happened in your life. Only you can set this kind of boundary, and it's very important! In moments like these, please don't cancel the transfer process, even if you feel like nothing is happening. Allow yourself to stay in God's presence while the process is underway:

"Wait on the LORD; be of good courage, and He shall strengthen your heart…" (Psalm 27:14, NKJV)! 

Meanwhile, as you trust Him, God will help you fully process what you've experienced and rightly settle it in your heart. You'll then be able to go on with strength and courage!

The miracle often happens in the background, friend, as you wait on the Lord! :-)

You are a miracle!

Deborah Rosenkranz
Author

Singer-songwriter and author, but especially Jesus' biggest fan!