#189 Answering the Call without Rushing the Process

Refinement is a subtle process; it tests, reveals, and steadies us. In our discussion, we emphasize the importance of responding to God’s call without rushing, drawing on Zechariah 13:9 to acknowledge our insecurities and fears. Catherine shares how grief prompted her to pause and trust God’s timing, illustrating how this pause can lead to healing and transformation.

We explore how the Spirit moves when we let go of performance and people-pleasing. While pressure may signal a calling, true character is shaped in moments of patience, such as journaling our pain and forgiving past injuries. Instead of seeking quick results, we look for quieter fruits—gentler responses and greater self-control—the fruits of the Spirit that grow through grace.

We also prepare for what’s next: moving “into the fire” with endurance and trust, as guided by Malachi 3:2–3. This message invites you to embrace the process of refinement, leading to a life that can authentically carry its calling. If this has helped you recognize your own small signs of growth, please share it with a friend, subscribe to the next chapter, and leave a review about one dark place you’re ready to confront today.

A journey through spiritual refinement, identity, healing, and growth, learning how pressure produces purpose and reveals the diamond within.

An invitation to come and be a part of what God is building here at God's Diamond Network.  We don't have to go at it alone; this is where we will grow together.

A Christ-centered journey of reset, refinement, and realignment, helping you confront darkness, heal deeply, and walk boldly in your God-given identity and purpose.

A gentle reminder to financially support us with a $3.99 monthly seed that helps us continue to share Kingdom conversations that transform lives. 

Thank you for listening, and we hope you will return every week.

Transcript

Pressure As Proof Of Calling

Naming Dark Places To Heal

SPEAKER_01 0:44

Hello, hello, and welcome back one more time. So glad to be before you. Thank you so much for joining me another week as we continue to journey through this scripture. Zachariah chapter 13, verse 9, in the refining process. Yes, we know it don't always feel good, but God knows best, right? If you don't know who I am by now, I don't know where you're at. Hallelujah. But my name is Katherine, and I'm so glad to be of service to you. Before we go any further, let's pray. Father, I thank you again for this day, another opportunity to be able to pour into your people. God, I pray that you would send those who need this word into um into alignment with us. I pray in the name of Jesus that you would just have your way. Use me to your glory. I pray in the name of Jesus that each and everyone that uh is able to get here, you've brought them here, God, that they get what it is you desire to give them. Um, we give you glory and we give you honor. In Jesus Christ's name we do pray. Amen. Amen. Hallelujah. So we left off last week. We were talking about um how it is that pressure is a part of the proof of your calling. Hallelujah. And today we take it a step further and we talk about answering that call without rushing the process. Oh, this is gonna be deep and it's gonna be uh a little bit of meaty, and so I hope you got your journals and I hope that you got something to write with because we really want to dig into this word on today, because after this episode, we transition into our next um, I would get say monthly our monthly theme of the thing because next month we're going into the fire. Hallelujah. So this month we started off the call to refinement, and next month is gonna be we're in the fire, hallelujah. So talked about dark places as we left off on last week, talked about dark places. I asked you to get um your uh a journal and begin to uh write down those dark places, yes. Um, we wanna be able to identify those dark places so we can walk in deliverance. Do you hear me? Do you want to walk in deliverance? Do you want to be feel like you are free? You know, free from weight, because that's really when we are walking around with with with burdens, we're walking around with things that we can't change, walking around with things that that don't belong to us, they are heavy. They are very, very heavy, and we can be end up in some not so good patterns. And so as we address it, we are answering the call without rushing the process in those dark places. What do they look like for you? It will let's see, it will absolutely free you to write them down. And on the last episode, I also talked about one of mine, and I will mention it again: insecurity. That is one of a big ones, insecurity and trust. I wrote them down myself, and because I've been hurt in in a lot of ways in intimate relationships, and I'm talking about when I say intimate, I'm talking about boyfriend, girlfriend, man, you know, boyfriend, girlfriend, the devil is a liar. No, no girlfriend. I'm talking about the boyfriend relationship. I uh make sure that's right because the devil will twist it. The devil is a liar. You heard what I'm saying? So trust issues in regard to men, insecurity because of how they make me feel. You know, I had a little rough childhood, you know, going through school and all of that. So all of that as an adult and 47 years old, and is still always heavily on me. Still plays a big part in my life. And, you know, it's a daily journey, you know, it is a daily journey that God is in his wisdom working out. And there's one thing a friend of mine, we were just talking earlier, and what we identified is that, you know, we are constantly being shaped and perfected until the day we leave this earth and go home. You know, once we get to heaven, we're gonna be perfect beings. Yeah, but you know, while we're on this earth, we are working progress. You hear what I'm saying? Look, that one that's that's professing they got it all together while they're here on earth, they a liar.

unknown 5:24

You hear what I'm saying?

Insecurity, Trust, And Fear

Yielding To The Spirit Over Self

Community And Walking Together

Surrender, Free Will, And Trust

SPEAKER_01 5:25

Look, they are a liar. Nobody has it all together. Nobody. I don't care how long you've been in the word, I don't care how how many tongues you you shout out or whatever, ain't everybody all good all forever on the earth, but we are good enough for Jesus. Hallelujah. Jesus saves us as soon as we believe, Jesus saves us where we are. In that moment that he saves us the way where we are is when he begins to go to work in our hearts. You hear what I'm saying? And he begins to uh rewire and and disconnect and do all of the things that he does to get us where he desires us to be. Another one for me, another dark place is fear. You know, I struggle a little bit with fear and you know, answering the call and doing what God has called me to do. Why? Why? Because I am concerned. I be I get concerned about what other people think. Yeah. And when I get concerned, and my focus goes to how they think about it, it makes me fearful. You know, and this is just me being a little bit transparent for you, you know, because I want you to be transparent with yourself. Hallelujah. Because you can't see me, you can only hear my voice. But, you know, the thing that we can do is be honest with God and honest with ourselves. Like I'm using myself as an example, you know, inferiority, like being feeling like, you know, other people are better than me. Like I'm not good enough to be able to do the things that really, I'm not good enough to speak to the masses. Like, that's how I've I've struggled with that thought. Because what I know is is that my anointing, like what I have, what God has given me, don't everybody have. I know that. And, you know, it's a whole bunch that that that based on what people have said, based on how they've looked at me, how they've treated me, I have all my life, especially in my in my ministry, I've held back quite a bit in in in the vein of Catherine. Now when the Holy Spirit is is is activated and he's moving, whether it's a sermon or somewhere here, like it's like Catherine is not there. Catherine's there to a certain degree. But when the spirit takes over, like it doesn't matter. Like for me, it doesn't matter how they look at me, it doesn't matter, you know, what they think about me, because in that moment, the spirit is operating. And when you are answering the call, it doesn't matter what they say, it doesn't matter what they think, you're operating in the spirit. And what does that mean? That simply means that Jesus in that moment is using you for his glory, you become the vessel that he's using in that moment to uh accomplish his will. Hallelujah. And so, like these dark places for me in that moment when Jesus is operating through me, none of that matters. You heard what I'm saying? But when Catherine is front and center, center stage, these things they confront me. I'm confronted with them all the time, just depending upon what the situation might be. I'm confronted with some of these things, and that's just a few, to name a few, because again, I want to walk alongside each and every one in discipleship, and I really want to get to know you personally, and that's why I created the apps, the WhatsApp community, and I have all of these different social media platforms. I want to get connected with you so we can work this thing out, and absolutely, Diamond Destiny, the ecosystem. Like I want to go through that system with you. Absolutely, because you know, I feel like the worst thing we can do is get lost in doubt, get lost in, you know, in, you know, we're being concerned about what people think about us, and the list just goes on and on. Look, when we have Jesus, we have all that we need. You know, some would say it's easy to say, and it's true, it is easy to say, but what do you believe? Hallelujah. I believe, I believe, and I know that what God is doing can't nobody else do. Like, if God is for me, then he's more than the whole world against me. Like at the end of the day, when it comes down to it, you know, I I share this all the time. You know, when your parents give you an option, when your parents don't give you an option, you're gonna do it, you know, and that's the way it happens for me in regard to my relationship with Jesus Christ. There are moments when he speaks to me in such a way that there is no, there is no option. You I'm good, you're gonna do this. You hear what I'm saying? And you have those moments, all of us. You have a, you know, it's not an option, it's not a maybe, it's not an if. Look, this is what I need you to do, and you're gonna do it now. And he operates like that through me sometimes. And and you know, and I'm left standing back like, whoa. I'm standing back, I'm like, whoa. Because it wasn't me, it was the spirit operating through me. And look, I promise you, it takes you being in a relationship with him to understand what I'm saying to you. Anybody who has a relationship with Jesus Christ, they know that when he tells us to do something right then and there, we know when he's serious, just like our parents, parents. We know when we done got in trouble. We done did something we got in trouble, because they neither called out our whole government name. You heard what I'm saying? They didn't say the tone, everything shifts, and you're saying, Oh goodness, what is wrong? You heard what I'm saying? Like, I'm pausing intentionally. So coming back to these dark places, and that's identifying. Look, if you identify what it is, this is how you will be able to walk in the deliverance that Jesus desires to give you. Hallelujah. Even Jesus, as he was going about minding his business, healing, delivering, and setting, setting people free, like the demon seen him from a distance. And Jesus was talking to him. What is your name? You heard what I'm saying? He said, What is your name? Look, at the end of the day, we gotta call it what it is, so he can call he can't look, he can just easily take the things away from us that that deter us and destroy us and all. He can easily do that. But look, this is all a free will game. Like, you give it to him if you want to, you don't have to. Some some of some folks are holding on to some things that he wants to take away, but you won't give it to him. You heard what I'm saying? You gotta give it to him. It's just like somebody who has an addiction. Until that person is ready to give that thing to him, he can't take it away. Because internally, secretly, they really want it. And so, like when you really don't want it and you hand it to them, it's like, and what do you do? You take it back, and you you know how you play the game with your kids, you say, Here, take it. You hold in your hand, and they reach to take it, and you pull your hand back. That's kind of like what it looks like, but somebody really don't want to let go of the thing that they know they need to get rid of. You heard what I'm saying? And again, he gives us free will. We get to choose on whether or not we keep it or let it go. You get to choose, and so until you are able to identify the things that are holding you captive captive, you cannot walk freely in the deliverance that he desires to give you. Look, the people are making it, don't make it his fault that you're not delivered. Look, don't make it his fault because he wants to deliver us, but the problem is you. The problem is me, because I don't want to give it to him. Because then, then what? That takes me out of the picture, right? That takes you out of the picture, and what does that do? Totally makes us what? Trust him. Hallelujah. That whatever his process is, is the process that's gonna set you free. Hallelujah. Again, you run into that what human nature. Human nature says, tell me what is going on. I want to know what's going on. I I don't I only want to try, I trust what I can see. You heard what I'm saying? I'll put my faith in what I can see. That's human nature. But it takes the spirit to be able to trust in what you physically cannot see. Look, this process, this is the process without rushing. So identifying what it is, handing it over to him, and allowing the the process to be the process. And here's the thing: he can take it away immediately. But but when we when we have a quick transition real fast, how how how much appreciation do we have for the process? When you have to struggle, look, when you say, you know, when you got to struggle to get something, like you gotta work two, three weeks. You got look, for those of us who get taxes, look, you gotta work like you know, work like hell for a whole year to be able to, you know, have a a reasonable about a reasonable amount of money all at one time. You appreciate that money a whole lot more, don't you? Than to be able to access that anytime, all the time. Anytime, all the time. You got you got constantly, you got let's just say$5,000 going into your bank account every single month without fail residually, you're gonna appreciate you, you're not gonna appreciate that as much as the one who had to struggle and wait for a year to get$5,000 into that bank account. Does that make sense? Like it's a deeper appreciation. And that's the that's just a a imagery for those who who are in the midst of of the process, the midst of waiting for something that they didn't ask God for for a long time. Like again, Jesus is accomplishing something. Look, do you notice how as how we as humans like to push past the emotional attachments? Now we're shifting gears just ever so slightly. Like, do you notice that when you get like we we waiting for things from from God and whatnot and whatnot, and we, you know, we're going through this, that, and the third, but we get to these points where you're like, we talk about hurt and pain. Like, we want to skip past the pain, skip past the hurt, and go on to the victory. Like, I can use my own self, for example. When Tomel passed away, I wanted to skip past the grief, get back to normal. You know, I didn't want to cry. Like, one of my biggest obstacles was allowing people to see me broken. Jesus, that's a word, right? Allowing people to have access to me while I was broken. Because for me, in my flesh, I thought I have to hold it together all the time. I am expected to be the strong one. I ain't expected to have it together all the time. I'm not supposed to fall apart.

SPEAKER_00 19:11

These were my thoughts. Okay, do you think that way? Hold on.

Why Process Beats Quick Fixes

Grief, Pausing, And Not Coping

SPEAKER_01 19:18

Now, see, this is the emotional attachment. The Lord said, No, you gotta stay right here where you are, and He made me go through that two months, those first two months, was like I was so I was fighting to breathe every single day. Hallelujah. Every moment I was fighting to breathe. I was going through the motions and did not realize it. I didn't even realize all of that time had passed by because I was just right there, stuck with all of this emotion, all of the wonders of why and all of the dub. But the Lord, He He made me go through it. I was trying to get away from it fast, trying to get back to normal, my normal. But he would not allow me. And that's a whole lot of us, right? Is that you? Trying to get back to the normal, want to forget, forget what happened, forget the thing that wounded you, that hurt you, that broke you. Like there is somebody that is probably thinking right now, how can I pause and still keep moving? And that's why I was. I was like, I knew that I needed to keep moving, but God said, No, you gotta pause for a second. I didn't say stop, I said pause. Pause says, you stay right here where you are for a minute, and when it's time, I will unpause you so you can keep on moving forward. Just like that movie we watched, and we hit pause because we don't want to start over at the beginning. We just hit pause till we get back and then we pick up from where we left off. That's kind of like what it looks like for us to pause is dealing and not just coping. A whole lot of times, this is what happens when we rush the process. We wind up coping and not really embracing the process. Look, coping is how people and this is how coping is how people move without addressing the issue. You heard me? This is how you move without without addressing the issue. Now, some people cope with things, situations like alcohol, some people's coping method is drugs, some people's coping method is pornography, some it's you know, retail shopping, you know, everybody, everybody, if you don't deal with what is wrong with whatever hurts you again, with whatever is has been shaken internally in regard to your emotions, then you find yourself just coping. You're not moving, you're moving, but you're not moving. Does that make sense? It's like almost like that sitting that sitting on pause, but you're still trying to move anyhow in the midst of the pausing. See, the pausing again, it's our time to deal with what's wrong. And then that's another thing that people are dealing with. And it's dealing with unforgiveness. You hurt me. And they think that if I don't forgive them, then they won't be happy. I'm gonna tell you who you're hurting more than anybody when you won't forgive. I didn't say, well, look, when you won't forgive. Who you're hurting more than anybody is you. They've moved on with their life, they're going on, and you're stuck right there where you were because you decide I'm not gonna forgive them. I'm not gonna forgive them because if I forgive them, then that lets them off the hook. No, it does not. It lets you off the hook. You are able to continue to go forward when you can forgive. Do you hear what I'm saying? And look, at the end of the day, he said, vengeance is mine. God will deal with the injustice. Anything that anybody's ever done to you that have caused you any harm, any anything, God will deal with them. But see, when we let them off the hook, or when we forgive them, let me choose my words wisely. When we forgive them, that's like saying, Okay, God, throwing is throwing your fingers up, throwing your your thumb up, saying, You got it, I take my hands off of it. The end of the day, this is how I feel in regard to the passing of my son. Like, like at the end of the day, God knows what happened. He knows what led up to it, he knows all of that. And I just trust and I believe that God is gonna handle the injustice that was done to him. Hallelujah. Same thing with my first husband. And I and I y'all will hear me oftentimes mention them, those two, between my son passing and my first marriage ending, because they were detrimental. They really were shifts in my life. They made me turn around and look twice at me and who I was and what what I was doing. Do you hear what I'm saying? Like they made me shift, turn around. Like, wait a minute. I couldn't just ignore it and keep on going. It made me stop and turn around. Hallelujah. So I'm going forward because I'm almost done. Not rushing. Will allow you to see the small changes that can go unnoticed. You heard me? Not rushing will allow you to be able to see small changes. You heard me?

SPEAKER_00 25:26

And it's often time with how we treat people and how we respond to people.

Unforgiveness And True Release

SPEAKER_01 25:36

And how we respond to situations. This is where we see the changes. We're like, oh, wait a minute. I ain't even angry about this no more. I ain't even upset about this no more. Oh, I'm I normally would have done this and I normally would have done that. I know we've all had that experience. Like, huh? Wait a minute, we turn around looking like, wait a minute, I didn't, you know, or somebody will say something to you. Oh, normally you would have said to such. And then you're looking at them like, huh? You heard what I'm saying? Like, sometimes we we we respond negatively, or it's not even really that we respond negatively, but the ones who perceive and receive our response, they take it as something being negative. They take it as you being, and you didn't even realize that you were. But it's just simply because you've walked through a number of an amount of time, walked through doing whatever you do, you know, gone unnoticed, that thing that hurt you, that thing that offended you, or whatever, and had no idea that it was affecting your response, had no idea that it was affecting how you were moving and how you were thinking and how you were treating people. Isn't that interesting? Once you get to the place where you are slowing down and really thinking about what is happening and what is going on in your life and rec in your life and recognizing those dark places, I promise you, things are going to begin to change. You won't rush the process, you will learn how to embrace it.

SPEAKER_00 27:15

Now, pause for a second because I want you to think about it as I get ready to come back with my final thoughts. So here are my final thoughts.

SPEAKER_01 27:30

So as we have walked through today's subject, um, and again, um, the subject or the title was answering the call without rushing the process. Um, we come to the end of our topic, and um the whole um overall topic of the call to refinement. We uh end this month with um as an overall picture, like let's not not rush the process, but embrace the process and understand that God is refining within and externally. Okay, internally and externally. God is refining in both ways. What is going on on the inside has a direct impact on what is going on on the outside. Within, we're talking about spiritually, emotionally, physically. What is going on up inside of them? That's all inward work, affects the fruit that you produce on the outside. What do we have? The fruit of the spirit. Since all is in um Galatians 5. Okay, if you need to look at that, Galatians 5, I believe it's 20, verse 22 and 23, I believe. Look at that, and you will be able to see exactly what that looks like. You can write that down in your journal. Um, exactly what that looks like, what your fruit ought to look like. And as we go through, I promise you, we're gonna deal with all of them. Like in regard to refinement and the fruit, what it is and what it is not. And so I am excited, so so excited about um what is going to transpire as we continue to go into the next month because we are going in the fire. I've already said that that's the month of March. Um, and uh the focus is gonna be on endurance and trust. Endurance and trust. And uh next episode is called Who Can Endure the Refining Fire? The scripture for the month will be Malachi 3, verse 2 through 3. Okay, and next week's episode, Who Can Endure the Refining Fire? Let's pray. Father, I thank you again for each and every heart that you brought here on today. I pray the blessings of the Lord will be upon them. I just pray, God, you'll continue to use us all to your glory. Father, we thank you. We pray it and we ask it. In Jesus Christ's name we do pray. Amen. Y'all have a great week, and we'll see you back on next week. Don't forget, you are a diamond, a diamond in the road. Blessings and love from me to you. Have a great day.