Are we done yet?

Today I received a wonderful email from my dear friend Brad whom I have known for over 25 years; I thought it was such a neat message that I wanted to share it with you:

Dear Cor,

I have been swirling with ideas that are inspired by your bread making...

In your most recent entry from Cor's Daily Bread you wrote beautifully about the value in the process of moving from ingredients to finished product under skilled hands.  I was reminded of how we are told to run the race as if to win the prize.  I have been thinking of how your investment in bread making reminds me of God's precious investment in us and how we should make the most of every opportunity, and see to the quality of a finished product.

I think more generally about the nature of process and how our culture has been so compartmentalized and dissociated from any real collective process.  We have men and women who spend 8 hours a day sticking the same door knobs on the passenger doors of Hyundai Sonatas.  We are better at blaming others for outcomes, because we feel little responsibility for the collective whole, due to our restricted and limited involvement and responsibility.

However, the disciplined artisan has actually two goals that he or she should pursue.  The first is the precious gift of his artistic rendering...but the second is his tutelage. An artisan who spend his life being the greatest baker or painter or pastor could spend a lifetime never connecting and passing along his gift of process to another, and with his demise would come the end of his craft.  And the greater gift may be the sharing through relationship.

God was with us when we were still ingredients.  He chose a masterful future intention for our outcome.  He provides a perfect catalyst for our inspired transformation through His son.  But almost all of us are still in the oven, awaiting his perfect timing for our finish.

True, so very true...