My Biggest Lesson: Everything Is A Process.

God created the world in six days. And He rested on the seventh day. Most of us are familiar with the setting of Genesis. God used all the time He had in each day to create a living world, bit by bit. The beginning of our Earth was not made all in one day. Why then, do I feel like all things should be good and perfect all at once? This has been my biggest lesson: everything is a process.For those who are perfectionists, you can understand the frustration that is the process. This year is my first year as a teacher for English learners. You may imagine how being a perfectionist can be a struggle in the education world. Before my day starts, I want to be the best of the best. I raise my expectations to impossible heights—for my students and for myself. The fact that I don’t have it all together with assessments and unit plans bothers me so much. The fact that my students won’t be proficient in English after that one day makes me feel like I’ve failed as an educator. For those who are married or in relationships, you can also understand the frustration of the process. I expect myself to nail the perfect banana bread on my first try. Or I plan to knock out all the laundry, clean the apartment, and have a nice meal put together in a couple of hours. I am extremely disappointed if I feel like I’m not a perfect wife or friend. I don’t know what compels me to feel like this is how it's all supposed to be. Today, the word “process” kept coming to my mind like a subdued, flashing neon sign. I was also reminded of the first chapter of Genesis—when God did not fashion all of existence in one day. He went through a process. There are so many instances of “process” that are captured by the writers of the Bible. Why on God's six-day-made Earth do I expect myself to have life perfected in one take? Friends, there are so many fun perks of accepting the process. Like nature, we are always growing. There is always something new to learn or to try. We can look back and reflect. We can tell stories about our imperfections and failures. We can talk up our sweet Jesus for His grace and patience. We can share in the processes that King David, Paul, and so many others from before us know so well.Everything is a process. You and I will not be perfect today. We will not have it all together. That is for sure.Instead, we can take a breather, sit still, and live loved with what little we accomplished today. We only have so many hours in a day and so many days in a week. Try not to be so hard on yourself, and instead, give yourself grace. Stay away from those lofty goals that will feed disappointment in yourself. You are a process, and that is okay.words by Kayla Timmons and photo by Kailin Richardson