Faith in the Process

I spoke with a sister in my neighborhood earlier this week who surprised me by opening up with some pretty personal details of her life.

She has been married 10 years and is ridiculously madly in love with her husband. She's always ooing and ahhhing over everything he does and there are posts on facebook and blogs which make me bite my tongue and remember that some people might genuinely be that happy.

But here's the thing: she cheated. Long story which isn't mine to tell, but the bottom line is their relationship wasn't so great, and she fell into another that was so great. And when they finally decided to tell she was sure her loving and devoted husband would take their 3 kids and run.

But he didn't.

They set some boundaries, they recognized that they had a choice and they worked their tiny tushies off to make it right. They were members of the church, but not so active. They have just recently been through the temple and been sealed to their kids.

The first time I talked with her she told me she was pretty inactive, but that she was trying. So from the perspective of most members she's not doing what she should. But in real life, she is converted in a way that many members only hope to be. She has a testimony that simply cannot be shaken.

We talked of faith that night. This is a woman of faith. She hoped and prayed that they would make it through their ugly ugly hardships. She hardly dared ask for the blessings she has received. But through her life experiences, she knows the Power of God. She knows what can happen and what people can overcome. She understands the atonement.

And when she posts something ridiculously sappy about how perfect her husband is, it's because she is amazed every day that he stuck with her. She honestly thinks that much of him and is legimitely glad they are together.

I told her about some things Husband and I are going through (job issues for Husband, I'm going back to work and leaving my kids for the first time) and she told me to simply have faith in the process. Trust that God has a plan for me and that if I'm following the promptings I seek out, I will be doing what I should. It might not look the way I think it should, and I might have to do hard things (duh) but the process is the point.

I look at her and remember that we're each somewhere in our progression and it doesn't really matter where. I'm not mad at or disappointed by my 10 month old for crawling instead of walking or grunting instead of speaking. I simply understand that he is in a different place than I am developmentally.

photo snatched here

Likewise I am not disappointmed in this dear sister when she doesn't show up at church on Sunday. I simply know that she is in a different place - one I may or may not experience. And one day she'll make it a habit to be there.
I hope that she can look at me and not be disappointed with my struggle to recognize promptings or get my own answers or have the faith to do what I'm asked to do. I hope she just knows that she is in a different place. And one day I'll get there. I'm just still processing.