The Process

Not long ago, I heard a radio interview with Mike Kryzewski, the head coach of Duke University basketball. In it, he talked about some of the great athletes of our times and how they got that way. Michael Jordan, Tiger Woods, Muhammad Ali (although he of course also became famous for other things), these were men who were specialized in doing one thing - playing a game. They became great at what they did and reached the pinnacle of success. But these men transcended the American niche market to which they were initially confined. From New York to Beijing to the tiniest atoll in the South Pacific, it’s a task to find someone who hasn’t at least heard their names.

But how did they get to this pinnacle?

The natural inclination is to assume that they were given gifts that others just don’t possess. Maybe in a sense, but not necessarily, because there have been many, many others whose physical skills and abilities were far superior and yet they didn’t meet the full potential of their gifts. The great ones don’t take their gifts for granted.

The great ones rise to the top, as Coach Kryzewski pointed out, by embracing the “process” of greatness.

This isn’t a significantly original thought but it is one that is often and easily neglected. The reminder of it is important.

We can see the greatness of Michael Jordan hitting the buzzer-beater in the finals, of Tiger Woods doing the impossible at the Masters, and of Muhammad Ali playfully dodging every punch thrown his way. What we don’t see is the process they went through to be able to do this with what seems effortless ease.

The great ones suffer like no others.

“Good enough” isn’t good enough.

Hours after his teammates were gone from practice, Michael Jordan was still at the free throw line. Hours before the first tee-time, Tiger Woods is practicing his putts. While his opponent was out on the town enjoying a brevity of success, Ali was in the gym hitting the speed-bag.

When they aren’t practicing, they are conditioning, developing their bodies and minds to perform together at their peak levels. Every single day, they run, lift weights, and push their bodies beyond the limits. They never give up and they go to bed every night exhausted.
Behind the scenes, when they aren’t on stage, the great ones lives are entirely dedicated to the process. The process of perfection. When the time comes to perform, there is no hesitation.

Focus. Practice. Repetition. And finally, though only temporarily, perfection.

And so it is with us Christians, except in the end, our perfection is made permanent.

We’re all called to be saints. It’s not an option. How easy it is to look upon the lives of our many and varied great saints though, and intimidated say, “Oh, I could never be that way, I just don’t have it in me.” Some saints of course seem to have been born with a special grace but many of them didn’t have it in them either to begin with. What they did have, however, was the humble desire for perfection, born in the love of their Creator. Their desire, like the Mother of God herself, was to simply say “yes.”

Usually in proportion to what they gave to God, He would give back to them. If they gave Him heroic amounts of prayer, in return He would give them a heroic stamina. Think Padre Pio. If they fasted to severity, He would nourish them solely with the Eucharist. Think Jean Vianney. If their spirit waned, He provided the encouragement and patience. Think Mother Theresa.

The greatest saints often saw themselves as the greatest sinners. The closer they came to Christian perfection, the further they realized they were. This didn’t stop them though. They didn’t say “good enough.” They didn’t leave idle the gifts that were given to them and to all of us.

They submitted themselves to the process. They focused on Christ. They practiced their Faith. They repeated their prayers and performed their works. They went to bed each night exhausted. They stumbled too and fell sometimes, but each time appealing to our merciful Lord they began again with renewed vigor. Over and over and over again, never giving up, they committed themselves to our Lord. Through the process, they were perfecting themselves.

When the time came, there would be no hesitation.

Focus. Practice. Repetition. The process for greatness; for becoming a saint.