Process

I am all about processes.  Perhaps it’s my tendency towards efficiency – give me a task, let me do it a few times, and I can almost guarantee that I will come up with an efficient process that will work over and over again. I’ve seen this at work especially in the kitchen.

The first time  I attempted Mexican corn tortillas (a foreign food here in Colombia), I was improvising based on a few recipes I found online.  They turned out ok, but not delicious.  Now that I’ve made them four or five times (since I only make a few tortillas each time), I definitely have a process – and they are turning out great!  (See below for the pictures of my process and the instructions.)

However, I’m recognizing that not all of life is a process. Many things are. Growth, maturity, knowledge – they take time. We develop these things at a different pace.

When we’re dealing with obedience, though, it’s a different story. Last week as the Lord was pointing out an area I had yet to surrender to Him, I responded, “But Lord, this is a process I’m working on… right?” His response was immediate: “It’s not a process. It’s a decision.”

Sometimes our decision and commitment to obey take longer than we should because we treat them like a process.  “When I’m ready” becomes a hindrance for our obedience.

Discovering God’s will is often a process. But let’s never let the “process” idea become an excuse for not obeying what we know He is calling us to do.

Joshua made a commitment to serve the Lord and challenged the Israelites to do the same. He brought them to an ultimatum: “But if serving the LORD seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your forefathers served beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the LORD” (Joshua 24:15).

My tortilla process:

Measure almost equal amounts of masa harina (corn flour… different than cornmeal!! Likely found in the Mexican section of a large grocery store) and water (slightly less water than masa harina). Add 1-2 tsp of butter and mix into a dough.  Form into balls 1-2 inches in diameter. Cut a zip-top bag open on one side, put the ball inside and flatten with something flat, like a cutting board. Remove from the bag and toast slightly. Cover the stack to keep in the heat – the condensation also helps keep them flexible.