When

When I sit and watch the best – artist, planners, athletes, musicians, actually anyone who is good at what they do – I don’t understand why they go through the steps they do.  Does it really matter how your hair looks before going to practice?  Is the quiet time or power nap important?  When I ask the answer is usually “you don't understand now what I'm doing, but it will be clear enough to you later.”  (John 13.7) 
 
My simple observation is this.  They’re right.  I don’t understand.  It doesn’t make sense.  It isn’t intuitively logical.  Yet it is what it is, a step in the process.  The fact that I don’t understand isn’t too important.  It seems that many of us have been asking the “when” question for a long time.  In the early days the question was extremely basic and direct.  “When are we going to get there?”  Over time the use of the question has morphed into something different but fundamentally the same intent.  “When is this going to make sense?”
 
The bad and the good news is this.  It may never make sense yet not making sense is never the worst thing in life.  Mysteries, good mysteries, can be part of a wonderful experience which transcends the ordinary.  The key ingredient required is trust.  This isn’t the blind trust of our childhood though it helps to start this way so experience can support what comes next.  Trust in this case is an experiential knowledge based expression of the heart which transcends logic and facts.  One knows with certainty.  One understands intuitively.  One is confident when everything will be revealed.
 
It is never easy for a child to wait.  I don’t think the challenge materially changes as one grows older.  I hate waiting!  I strongly dislike not knowing.  I find myself impatient, waiting to get on with things.  Take optional steps to get to my destination?  No!  Yet the example of those who are the “best” causes me to pause.  Perhaps I am missing something along the way.
 
Remember, “steps” take you to your destination.