Chapter 15
THE PROCESS
Coal doesn’t become a diamond overnight; it has to endure a process of heat and pressure, over an extended period of time. When you first exit the diving board, you’re like an ugly, little lump of coal who has decided to take the plunge towards his diamond destiny. I believe each one of us has a diamond destiny to be revealed.
God’s Will for your life is to slowly help you realize how valuable (as His diamond) you are. This isn’t an overnight process. In order for one to become a valuable diamond, you have to endure—and learn from—the process of life’s heat and pressure. If you didn’t experience the blistering heat outside the pool, you wouldn’t be able to fully appreciate the invigorating sensation of being inside the pool.
The Apostle Paul explains this process quite nicely in 2 Corinthians 12:9: “But he said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.’ Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weakness, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.”
The power of which Paul speaks is the strength of God working through your weakness—as a lump of coal—to slowly perfect you and propel you into your diamond destiny. It’s best to be realistic about your coal characteristics (boasting about your weakness), while trusting God’s process to transform you into a diamond. Deceiving yourself, by trying to convince the world that you’re a diamond (when you’re still a lump of coal) is counter-productive, and will actually slow your diamond destiny manifestation. A lump of coal is a lump of coal, no matter how many times you spit-shine it.
After you take the plunge into the pool, you’ll be tempted, at times, to become self-righteous (thinking you’re a diamond), when you’re still a lump of coal. You’ll see all your sun burnt friends outside the pool, and you’ll be tempted to pass judgment. The following thoughts may enter your mind: What a bunch of losers. I’m spiritual and they’re not. I’m making the “right” decisions, and they’re still sinning. I’m going to heaven, they’re going to hell.
When you choose this arrogant perspective, you’re no longer boasting in your weakness (and praising God’s perfecting power), you’re boasting in your own strength. All of a sudden, you have all the answers. Now everybody needs to listen to you, because you have everything figured out. You’re the spiritual master. William Shakespeare wrote, “The fool doth think he is wise, but the wise man knows himself to be a fool.” When you start deceiving yourself, by thinking that you’ve got all the answers, you’re really slowing the process of manifesting your diamond destiny.
I’m guilty of this from time to time.
It’s been said that, “Life is not about the destination; it’s about the journey.” I’ll expand on this in Chapter 42. Yes, becoming a beautiful, valuable diamond is the goal; it is what every soul is intended to become. However, there are a million different beautiful and valuable experiences along the way ... in the process. It makes no sense to try to rush the process, because rushing the process won’t turn you into a diamond any faster.
Remember, a lump of coal becomes a diamond after enduring the process of heat and pressure over an extended period of time.
Sometimes I consider myself to be the most indecisive person on the planet (bad thing). Other times, I just consider myself to be the most flexible person on the planet (good thing). There are times when I think I’m definitely maybe the most flexible indecisive person in the universe. Not long thereafter, I realize I’m actually quite possibly the most inflexible decisive person in the galaxy.
I’ve finally become comfortable with appreciating the process.
There is no “right” or “wrong” answer. From time to time, however, there are definitely maybe some possible “wrong” and “right” answers. And when you see the “right” answer, you always know. And when you know you’ve seen the “right” answer, you’ve just got to choose it. Then you’ll almost always (from time to time) know you’ve made the “right” decision.
Until you determine it wasn’t. Perhaps.
This reminds me of the story of the wise old man with the white horse, from Max Lucado’s In the Eye of the Storm. I’ll paraphrase:
There once was a wise old man with a beautiful—and valuable—white horse. Everyone in the village coveted his horse, and encouraged the old man to sell it, since he was poor. The old man refused, saying the horse was a friend. “How could one sell his friend?” he asked.
The people of the village called the old man a fool. They said he was crazy. “If he were smart,” they said, “he would sell the horse and live off the money.” Instead he was a poor wood-cutter who would always live in poverty.
One day, the old man discovered that the horse wasn’t in his stable. “We told you your horse would be stolen!” cried the village people. “You’re such a fool for thinking such a valuable horse wouldn’t be taken! We knew you were a crazy old fool!”
The old man responded, “Don’t speak too quickly; say only that the horse is not in his stable. That is all we know; the rest is judgment. We only know a fragment. Life comes in fragments.”
Fifteen days later the horse returned; he hadn’t been stolen. He ran into the forest and returned with a dozen wild horses. These horses could be trained and sol—for lots of money.
The village people were in shock. They said, “Old man, you were right. This is such a blessing! We thought you were cursed because of your foolishness. Now we see that you were right!”
The old man replied, “Once again you go too far with your judgments. All we know is that the horse has returned, and has brought a dozen new horses with him. We only know a fragment. Life comes in fragments.”
The old man had a son. The son decided to train all the new horses. While training the horses, he fell and broke both legs.
The village people laughed. They shouted, “See! You foolish old man! We knew those horses were a curse! Now your only son can’t work, and you’re too old to train the horses yourself!”
Calmly, the old man responded, “You people are obsessed with judging. All we know is that my son broke his legs. We only know a fragment. Life comes in fragments.”
Soon thereafter, a war broke out with a neighboring country. All the young men were required to join the army. Only the son of the old man was excluded, because he had two broken legs.
Crying over the deployment of their sons, the village people surrounded the old man. “Your son broke his legs and doesn’t have to go to war. His accident was such a blessing! We’ll never see our sons again!”
The old man spoke again. “All we know is that my son doesn’t have to go to war. We only know a fragment. Life comes in fragments. Nobody is wise enough to know if something is a blessing or a curse. Only God knows.”
My Truth says ... life is a process. God experiences Himself through you as the process. Let God’s strength be perfected in your weakness, by yielding to the process.
What does Your Truth say?