DON'T IGNORE THE PROGRESS IN THE PROCESS

 You hear this quote all the time, "I'm not where I want to be, but thank God I'm not where I used to be." You hear that from saints and 'aints alike. To quote my Pastor "In other words," I'm still in the process but I'm making progress. I feel like we've been living a society that wants to ignore the progress in the process. Our society has been impatient for a long time. We want the prize without running the race. We want to lose weight without the work. We want faith to work without work. It feels like people want the finish product with the process. Nine times out of ten, it doesn't work that way. 

2 Thessalonians 3:13 "But ye, brethren, be not weary in well doing."

It's not a comfortable feeling when you know you're working hard and making progress in life only to have your who situation shut down because you're still in the process. It's not a comfortable feeling you know you're heading in the right direction, and you still get told that you're not doing it right because it's not the way so and so want's you do it, or you're not doing it like they did it. I know what's it's like to have your progress completely ignored because you're not at the final destination yet. Be not weary. It gets depressing when you get that from anybody, especially when it comes from loved ones. Be not weary. Keep doing what you're doing. You're doing what's right. Your progress is not being ignored. If God sees your progress and is pleased who cares what anybody else thinks. Some of the naysayers wants that spot of God so bad that they try to take the position of God by condemning you. You know who else tried to take the position of God. Satan. Didn't work out for well for him did it? 

Most of the time, success doesn't happen over night, and we can't expect it too. I recently wrote down all my goals and dreams on a piece of paper. It's folded up on my dresser now. Before I go to bed I read that list out loud asking God for direction. God is our father. We treat God like some of us treated our parents growing up. Saying, "I promise I'll be good. I won't do that anymore," as a way to hopefully get what we want. That's how some of us treat the things we do behind closed doors. I'll stop Sunday and Wednesday. I'll stop on the days I know I'm going to seen, so God will be pleased with your performance. What does this have to do with the process? It goes right with trying to get the prize but not working for it. Trying to get the reward of being a Christian but doing none of the work. Kevin Hart has a phrase he uses, "Everybody wants to be famous, but nobody wants to put the work in." In 2 Thessalonians 3:10, Paul said in the last clause, "...that if any would not work, neither should he eat." I believe that more than about a job. If you don't put the work in don't expect to eat like everybody else that has been in the process. 

Now we can't always look and the people sitting on the bench as lazy because we don't know the work they are doing behind the scenes. Just because you don't see the man or woman directing the movie, doesn't mean they're not working. Matthew 6:4 in the Amplified Bible says, "So that your charitable acts will be done in secret; and your father who sees [what is done] in secret will reward you." Be not weary. Galatians 6:9, "And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap if we faint not." Don't give up during the process. Don't let what people see through natural eyes distract you from your progress. If you're doing what you're supposed to do, keep going. Just because you're not at the finish line yet, doesn't mean your race is over. Just because your due season hasn't come yet, doesn't mean it's not coming. Old song says, "Stay in the field, until the war is ended." Three words has been the subject of this whole pandemic. Don't. Give. Up.

I'm finished. I hope I said something that helps you stay in the process I hope something was said that helps you trust your progress in your process. If I said anything out of line please forgive me. I'm just another dude in the process. If you got this far, please share anyway you know how.

Stay Saved,

Daniel Richerson

GRATEFULNESS BRINGS BENEFITS

So the other day my sister treated to see the faith based film War Room, which is a brilliant movie, and as we were leaving my sister said something that stuck with me. She said, "I'm just waiting on a thank you." As soon as she said that it hit me that maybe we haven't received our "you're welcome" from God cause he hasn't received a thank you. For example, you ever do something for people and never receive one thank you? You usually stop doing stuff for them because of their what? Ungratefulness.

Being grateful is not only polite, it has it's benefits. Old saying in the church say, when the praises go up, the blessing's come down. The problem with some of us is that we want the benefits but none of the work.  Kevin Hart put it like this, "Everybody wants to be famous, but nobody wants to be the work in." I want to be an author one day. I hope to one day learn to play other instruments besides the drums. But I can't expect to get on a piano one day and automatically know the scales and the keys to put a singer in without any prior work. It has been said that some are just naturally gifted when it comes to pianos, but can't expect that for everybody.

Now I believe, my opinion, that God won't stop blessing because you didn't say thank you. I believe that's where grace and mercy comes in. They're not a excuse to sin or not say thank you, but it gives you chance after chance to say thank you. Shawn Bigby put it like this, "Lord I want to say thank you / I need to say thank you/ I gotta say thank you for always being there." Saying thank you should not be a forced thing. My sister shouldn't have had to ask me for a thank you. God shouldn't have to beg you to praise him. It's amazing that in Psalm 150 it's written, "Let everything that has breath praise the Lord." Yet you seem to have to beg people to praise. A lot of us are so ungrateful it's no wonder we're going through what we're going through.

Ungratefulness can ruin relationships and future relationships. Cause you being ungrateful can travel like a plague and other people will hear about it and not do any favors for you. Imagine if God treated us like that. Imagine if because of our ungratefulness to God, He decided to cut us off. Imagine if because of our ungratefulness he never sent his son to die for our sins. Just imagine. How many of you are glad that God is not like man?

Stay Saved,

Daniel Richerson

HE CAN, HANDLE IT!

Ok I was going to post the lyrics to It's Been Awhile by Staind because you know it has been some weeks since I've done this and you know I figured it would fit...THEN I googled the lyrics....yeah, not even close to the situation here. Moving on...Cue--actually, right now I'm watching Think Like A Man. It's a great movie. Kevin Hart is who you would want him to be in this movie, Kevin Hart.

So just a little update, I'm finally doing some job searching after months of saying, "I hate this job," and doing nothing about it. Now here's the hard part, the heck am I searching for? Short term goals? What would I be willing to do? Where am I willing to go? Good questions. Very good questions....don't judge me, ok? All this just doesn't happen in an instant. Process people. Not the process you put in the hair, but the process that is also called steps. Taking steps. Steps...are what...I...am taking.

Now, another thing I've been thinking about. Personal stuff. Like when things don't go the way we want them to, whether it's a job or a relationship, do we really believe God knows what he's doing? Do we really believe that God has the best for us? That's what I'm learning. I've been in love, or thought I was in love with a couple of women in my lifetime, and nothing. Most of my former classmates, married and doing the dang thing. Being 25 now, I figured my life would be so much further ahead than it actually is. You know what? Maybe it should be. The reason I'm not there yet, is not God's fault. It's my fault. In a race, it's important to stay in your lane. Some of our problems is, we get try to take detours. We put in our own road blocks. We see other people thriving and we become spirtual rubber neckers slowing down our own personal traffic or walk. So back to the woman thing for just a sec. Maybe the one I think is the one, may be the one---for someone else. You know? Giving God control, literally means giving God control. I remember watching Steve Harvey on TBN one night and he was talking about a particular situation that happened in his life and then he said, "This was the first time I ever just let God handle it." Old song by Kirk Franklin says, "It really doesn't matter what you're going through. Just call on Jesus, He'll work it out for you. His yoke his easy, and his burden's light. Just give it to Jesus, He'll make it all right. He can handle it!" Just sayin...to you and to me. Let go. Let God.

Stay Saved,

Daniel Richerson aka Big Dusty
@Big_Dusty on Twitter and Instagram
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