We live in a culture of instant everything—fast food, same-day delivery, streaming in seconds. We’re trained to value what is visible, measurable, and immediate. If something takes time, or we can’t see its results right away, we often assume it isn’t working or isn’t worth it. And sadly, we bring that mindset into our spiritual lives. We expect quick growth in our churches, instant transformation in our children, and rapid maturity in ourselves. When those things don’t happen on our timeline, we’re tempted to doubt God’s work altogether.

At my daughter’s graduation, we hung a strand of photos from her first day of school each year—Kindergarten to Senior Year. Each picture was just a simple snapshot: a smile, a backpack, a new grade. Year to year, the changes seemed small. But stepping back to look at the full strand, it hit me—she had grow ...