Trust The Process

I was deeply moved this week as I came across the story of Jonathan Larson. Larson was an American composer, lyricist, and playwright who brought to the stage the applauded musicals "Rent" and "Tick, Tick, Boom." This man had achieved such great fame, honor, and received three Tony Awards and a Pulitzer Prize for Drama, but all after he passed away. 

Larson had faced rejection letter after rejection letter from every producer, director, and studio in the business. However he kept pursuing what he loved. He kept going. He stayed consistent with his passion, facing many road bumps and thoughts of giving up but he persisted. His work was eventually recognized for what is was, a triumph in the arts. However, he never got to see that while on this Earth. 

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I think this is a beautiful reminder that first, we don't decide how long we will be here, God decides. It is God's timing, not ours. Second, it reminds us that we should not be working for the outcome. We should be doing what we are doing because we trust the process. We trust that what we are doing is part of God's plan for us.  Even when faced with rejection and challenges, you choose to embrace the process. You choose to be your honest authentic self. Choose to accept what happened and then keep going. One step at a time. Don't wait till you've reached your goal to celebrate and express your gratitude and love. That is not living fully. We are called to be present so we can show up as ourselves and as love in every form. To show up as love is to show up as yourself, allowing yourself to feel what you need to feel. 

Larson did just this. He didn't do what he did to receive fame and awards, he did it because he loved creating, he loved using what gifts God gave him. Even when it was hard, even when he struggled and hated it, he kept going because he trusted the process. There are somethings we will never be able to understand. Why this happened, what if I did this instead. But we need to let those thoughts go. We need to make the choice to keep going, to keep loving every part of the journey we are on. To love something is to accept something as it is. Even when it is hard, accept and trust. That is the greatest and most impactful thing we can do. Larson not only left an impact in the arts but his persistent spirit and love for the process left an impact that nothing could ever beat.