Growing Pains
Growing up I would get shoot pain up my legs at odd hours of the day for not particular reason. My Mom always called them growing pains. She said they were making me tall and strong. Oh how I HATED those growing pains!!! They would keep me up in the middle of the night, hinder my activities during the day and required me to sit still which I hated to do. But my Mom was right, like she most of the time was. I grew tall and strong because of those growing pains.
Today I was again reminded of how life is a lot of different growing pains. There are times in our lives where everything is going smoothly, all relationships are fantastic and life couldn't get more sweet! Then there are other times where pains invade our world, keeping us up at night, hindering our activities and sometimes requiring us to sit still and think things through. I think for me I am going to stop looking at them as growing pains. It sounds so negative and I don't think all growing is negative. It doesn't hurt to be woken up in the middle of the night when you feel a tug at your heart or hear a baby's cry. It does a lot of good to slow down and not get lost in the rat race we called life. And oh the sweet blessings that come forth from sitting still and listening.
It doesn't mean that when those pains enter our life that it's easy to handle them. It's not! That's why it's called pain, because it hurts us to the core of who we are. But I think we have to accept the pain and learn from it if we are ever to survive and thrive. I know for me when life gets hard I shut down. I go into hiding and will not allow anything/anyone else to hurt me. It's like I'm a turtle that climbs back into his shell and hides from the world until it's safe to return. I don't want to be a turtle!! I don't want to live life waiting for it to be safe again.
Lately God's been training my heart to look at things differently. I'm not good at it yet but I'm really trying to understand the heart of God. To see that His will for my life, and for yours, is to glorify Him in every part of our lives. To wake up in the middle of the night praising Him, to slow down and turn our eyes upon Him and praise Him and to sit still and rest in Him. I realize I use my humanness as an excuse to not see the beauty in EVERY circumstance. I focus on those growing pains, painful and debilitating. While He sees them much like my wise Mom of ways to stretch me, to develop me further for Him and to make me strong!!
I have different growing pains right now that are causing hurt in my life but I am today choosing to give glory to God for them. To see them as part of His journey for my life. And no matter what the circumstances to find shelter and comfort in His arms.
Growing up is hard, no matter how old you are! I'm sure people who are in their 80's could say the same things that I at 32 am saying now. It doesn't get easier!! But it's about your perspective along the way. Today I'm choosing to listen, slow down and be silent and allow God to change me. Not for my glory or anyone else's but for His. That my life will but a glimpse of who He is.
Today I was again reminded of how life is a lot of different growing pains. There are times in our lives where everything is going smoothly, all relationships are fantastic and life couldn't get more sweet! Then there are other times where pains invade our world, keeping us up at night, hindering our activities and sometimes requiring us to sit still and think things through. I think for me I am going to stop looking at them as growing pains. It sounds so negative and I don't think all growing is negative. It doesn't hurt to be woken up in the middle of the night when you feel a tug at your heart or hear a baby's cry. It does a lot of good to slow down and not get lost in the rat race we called life. And oh the sweet blessings that come forth from sitting still and listening.
It doesn't mean that when those pains enter our life that it's easy to handle them. It's not! That's why it's called pain, because it hurts us to the core of who we are. But I think we have to accept the pain and learn from it if we are ever to survive and thrive. I know for me when life gets hard I shut down. I go into hiding and will not allow anything/anyone else to hurt me. It's like I'm a turtle that climbs back into his shell and hides from the world until it's safe to return. I don't want to be a turtle!! I don't want to live life waiting for it to be safe again.
Lately God's been training my heart to look at things differently. I'm not good at it yet but I'm really trying to understand the heart of God. To see that His will for my life, and for yours, is to glorify Him in every part of our lives. To wake up in the middle of the night praising Him, to slow down and turn our eyes upon Him and praise Him and to sit still and rest in Him. I realize I use my humanness as an excuse to not see the beauty in EVERY circumstance. I focus on those growing pains, painful and debilitating. While He sees them much like my wise Mom of ways to stretch me, to develop me further for Him and to make me strong!!
I have different growing pains right now that are causing hurt in my life but I am today choosing to give glory to God for them. To see them as part of His journey for my life. And no matter what the circumstances to find shelter and comfort in His arms.
Growing up is hard, no matter how old you are! I'm sure people who are in their 80's could say the same things that I at 32 am saying now. It doesn't get easier!! But it's about your perspective along the way. Today I'm choosing to listen, slow down and be silent and allow God to change me. Not for my glory or anyone else's but for His. That my life will but a glimpse of who He is.
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