Peace and Pace in the Process

We have been talking about abandoning the outcome to Jesus now for three weeks. I could spend a year on this because it is that important. Until you learn to do so, you simply will not live with the peace Jesus promised His followers.

To be blunt, if you are not abandoning the outcome, you are not following Jesus. You are following your own ability and your own purpose and your own required outcome. I lived that way for years–and for years I coped with the accompanying stress by medicating myself with various “stress-reducers.”

But no more. And the freedom that comes with this release, well, it is a peace that passes all understanding.

Peace in the Pace

Last week we were very clear: We abandon the outcome, but not the process. Today, I want to touch on the peace we can find within the pace of the process. As we move forward in our pursuit of our goals and objectives, for our business, family or personal, we allow the peace of Jesus to be a guardrail–or even a stop sign–during the process.

When we feel ourselves stressing during the process, and wanting to press the pace even faster, we slow down, have a conversation with Jesus, and ask for His guidance through the Holy Spirit.

As an example, I will share with you an ‘F’ on my part with respect to abandoning, and an ‘A+’ on my daughter Britton’s part.

A few years ago, Britton was relocating to Jacksonville for work. Dina and I met her there for the purpose of finding a place to live. We had one weekend to accomplish this. A quick pace indeed.

The first three places were within Britton’s budget, but Dad did not want her living in any of them. Even though I was assured they were safe, they looked like Beirut ghetto neighborhoods to me.

The fourth place was perfect! Much bigger, with decks and porches and bigger rooms. The rent was a tad more than Britton had budgeted, but who cares–I was 100% in favor. But Britton was not, and kept saying, “Dad, I just don’t have a peace about this. I am going to continue to ask the Holy Spirit for guidance and clarity until I do.”

My response? “I have already checked with the Holy Spirit and He tells me this is the perfect place.” (Argh)

That night over dinner Britton continued to express her hesitation, and the check in her spirit, and I continued to express my approval of the place, and to tell her to ignore this check in her spirit, and listen to her wise father. I reminded Britton, as I played the Holy Spirit, we needed to make a choice by the next day.

But she demurred.

The next morning, she attended a church that some friends had recommended. After the service she was introduced to the young pastor and his family. It “just so happened,” by “pure coincidence,” they had a pool house they were looking to rent.

Here are the results of Britton’s abandoning the outcome, but seeking peace during the fast weekend pace of the process:

1. The rent was much less than her budgeted amount.
2. The pool house was tucked safely behind the young pastor’s home in a safe neighborhood. And she had access to their pool.
3. The young pastor’s family became family to Britton, and Boyd, the young pastor, was part of Britton’s wedding.
4. She had an instant community and instant church home.
5. And most important, Dad was able to rest assured for the next three years his precious daughter was safe and sound, and surrounded by wonderful families and friends.

Well, actually the most important part was Jesus was glorified, because of Britton’s trust in His involvement in the details of her life.

Please do not miss that. Because she trusted that Jesus was deeply involved in the details of her life, even to the point of assisting in this house search, she was able to abandon the outcome to Him, and to seek, and therefore find, His peace through the pace of the process.

That is the A+ life that is truly life.

(This is the last Putting Green until September)