Growth Story

Lack of time, lack of sleep, lack of food (sometimes), and lack of exercise. Scary, but just a period in human life. Now we are experiencing this time, a time of growth.

For sure, everybody knows that babies grow, with amazing speed and still keeping it very natural. The growth of the parents is a topic not so often discussed. Maybe not all parents grow? We are certainly having room for growth, and experiencing it.

What, then, is the growth of parents? When everything is going well, everybody is happy and satisfied. When baby is crying relentlessly and seemingly without reason, the true nature of parents is tested. This is only the beginning, I understand. When the baby grows into a child having his/her opinions and own will, it will be totally another "fight".

This all leads me to ponder one thing: what kind of persons we really are? Are our habits and self-awareness ever challenged? Have we allowed other people or events to challenge what we are? To grow, by definition, means to change and leave something behind to gain something new. Thus if we are not willing even to admit the true status of the current, we can never even really want to progress with growth into the next.

In the cell conference our church arranged yesterday, there were many pearls said and discussed. One of the pearl is this statement: "True spiritual growth happens only in the interactions with people". The conclusions from this statement: one cannot grow spiritually only by watching sermons and services from internet; one cannot grow spiritually only by studying the Bible and praying; one cannot grow spiritually only by meditating and trying to change oneself. The only growth comes from the relationships with people, the good and bad within normal human relationships. Being open to communicate, to care for others and let others care for us, helps to see the current and to strive for the better.

Growth, thus, implicitly brings pain. Growth pain was a topic more common some years ago with some friends, but it's good to feel it all over, again and again. Only this way one can know life is moving on, new things are coming and growth is happening. By experiencing growth one should be able to understand others better, and also be able to bless other people with deeper understanding and accurate help.

Growth of Christians is truly possible only in the fellowship, congregation, cell groups. The Bible tells us about the importance of this: Letter to Hebrews, chapter 10, verse 25: " Let us not give up meeting together. Some are in the habit of doing this. Instead, let us cheer each other up with words of hope. Let us do it all the more as you see the day coming when Christ will return."

To be afraid of pain is normal, but it does not need to prohibit us from choosing the right thing, taking the more challenging road instead of just sitting on the comfort of living room sofa. At the end, when looking back, one can certainly see what kind of life has been worth living.

Pain is a gift from God to help us know ourselves better. I don't pray for pain to come, I pray to endure the pain that will be.

Cheers! :)