The Beauty Is In The Process {Day One}

Welcome to Day One in a 31 Day Part Series

Becoming His Pearl

"They shall become mine says the Lord of hosts, on the day that I make them my jewels. And I will spare them as a man spares his own son who serves Him. " Malachi 3:17

Today I want to share about the process.

We know about process, don't we?

We know about being formed and even transformed.

We know about beauty breaking forth after a few seasons of suffering.

We know that in the kingdom- to lose is to gain.

We know that there is a dying that has to happen, in order to truly live.

We know we must be willing to lose our life, in order to find it.

All of these things are part of His process.

And so it is with a pearl.

A pearl is the only gemstone that is actually formed.

A pearl must be born.

It is born out of suffering.

Did you know that a parasite burrows into the side of an oyster shell and that the oyster

releases nacre as a defense mechanism to protect itself from the intruder.

It coats and covers the parasite again and again and again.

And during this process of protecting itself and fighting the enemy and trying to defend

home base....

Something beautiful begins to form inside the oyster.

Something with tremendous worth. 

Something with great value.

Something with a high price.

Something very beautiful and very significant.

A pearl.

Unlike diamonds that already exist and must be mined....

A pearl must go through a process before its beauty can be revealed.

It can take up to eight years for a single pearl to fully develop.

Seasons upon seasons.

A season of suffering. A season of being hidden. A season of being alone. 

I know you can relate....

The hope is that during our seasons of being refined, we learn how to allow His perfect work. We learn how to worship. We learn how to magnify. We learn how to offer up a sacrifice of praise. We learn how to leave things alone. We learn how to humble ourselves and allow the Father to have His way.

Because His ways are always best.

"But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light." 1 Peter 2:9

Once a pearl is formed and brought forth "into His marvelous light" it does not return to the oyster shell again. Once it is brought forth, it is used for the displaying of His splendor.
It doesn't return to its shell. It doesn't return to the pit.

It is used for purpose. 

I want to encourage you not to despise the process.  If we attempt to cut the process short, by insisting and pushing and pressing our own way, we are ultimately telling God that we know what is best. That we know how to do things. That we've got this thing figured out. 

Despising the process is a form of unbelief.

If we can train our hearts and minds to be patient in affliction. To be grateful in all things.

To be still and know. To simply trust and obey and to believe that God is good- no matter what.

In His timing, He will bring forth a beauty that cannot be compared.

But we must submit to the process sweet friends.....

My hope is that you will read this post and feel encouraged and that you will lean into Him a little more when life hurts, as it sometimes does.

I want to recommend that you begin a 31 day journal and that you just begin to write.

Write your heart and your worries and your concerns and share those places and spaces with Him that could possibly be holding you back.

Areas of offense and wounds that never seem to heal.

Spaces inside where we may even be disappointed or angry with others or even with Him.

Places that want to keep us bound up so that we can never fulfill purpose.

Get it out and onto paper. 

Then just be still and listen.

Write down whatever you feel He may be speaking to you.

A scripture. A promise. A few words. An idea. A revelation. A truth.

Anything. 

He is always speaking....

You will be astounded at how much growth can happen in just a month of journaling and studying His word.

When we bring things into His marvelous light~ healing can take place.

And then we are positioning ourselves for purpose and for His glory to be revealed in each and every one of us.

"For the suffering of this present time is not worthy to be compared to the glory which shall be revealed in you."  Romans 8:18