beauty in the process

I enjoy the process of forcing bulbs indoors in the winter-it's tradition; in November after Thanksgiving, I fill a shallow glass dish with pebbles and push in the bulbs, six or seven side by side-Paperwhite Narcissus work best. Next water and watch- little green shoots appear almost immediately; roots branch out, pushing the bulbs to the service of the pebbles. I love to watch the process. . . water and watch as the weeks pass.

And by January Paperwhite stalks and leaves are straight and tall, the blossoms fragrant. The entire process is lovely- I think I enjoy the process as much, maybe more, than the blossoming bulbs. Isn't it that way with other good things in life. . . a baby learning to walk, bread dough rising in the bowl, the parts of a little sweater waiting to sew up, pen and paper on the table-the process of composing a letter to a friend far away. And sometimes, while there's beauty in the process, the end result doesn't quite measure up to the expectation, you know how that is-and there's still much value, much goodness in the process.

For I'm confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus (Phil 1:6). So, I've been thinking about the process of sanctification in my life-hmmm. . . sometimes as I labor to put off sin and to put on righteousness-well, the process doesn't seem very lovely-I want it to be complete, and now. . .

But Beauty rests in Christ. . .this is His work, and because He's commited to my holiness, because He won't give up on me nor stop working this good process in me til the end. . . that, dear ones, is beautiful indeed.