Early in all of our lives, we begin the lifelong process of achieving goals. Everything from celebrating our first steps as an infant to fundraiser sales in elementary school. We are inundated with achieving goals- whoever sells the most girl scout cookies, wins the spelling bee, graduating in the top 5% of your class- all get those achievers awards. This can also creep into our adult lives and we continue on the same path; getting the job at the top company, win the promotion, get a better job, buy the right house, then go for a bigger one etc... etc... etc...
However, in between each of these goals is a process-a journey that is sometimes neatly tucked between the two points. There is a process or journey that is in between going from one stage to another. And very often the process is just as important as getting to the next point. But sometimes we don't want to pay attention to the process, sometimes we don't want to embrace the process that it takes to get from one point to another!
Nehemiah is trying to help the people of Jerusalem move from one stage to another, he is helping them understand the process that one must embrace in order for lasting transformation to take place. When we are willing to embrace the process of transformation we will experience long-lasting change!
Rev. Squire J. Newsome III
