When I was growing up my legs hurt just about all the time. Doctors said it was growing pains and I would eventually outgrow it. Now I know it was early symptoms of Chiari Malformation, but at the time it was just a pain I learned to endure. I can remember my Mom warming gallon jugs to put on my legs so I could sleep, the gallon jugs came after she squeezed my legs until I'm sure her hands were so tired. These "growing pains" made me stronger and actually prepared me for the pain I would endure as an adult.
Now, I am learning about growing pains that are not physical! Ach, these growing pains are pretty tough. It is painful to learn how to embrace life's disappointments and continue on in the joy of the Lord. It is painful to learn how to love on my boys who look and act more like men. How do I let my college man spread his wings and fly when all I want to do is make sure there is enough cushion were he to fall. It is painful to help my girl pack up her toys because that stage is behind her. How am I to muddle through these growing pains? What do I hope for when these pains are past?
That is a question I am not sure I can answer just yet, but one I am working on. I have loved every stage of my children's life and honestly every stage of my married life. There have been growing pains in marriage of course, but those pains have made us stronger I trust. What I do know from my 40 something years in this life that when pain (physical or otherwise) comes it eventually goes or at the very least lessens. That gives me hope. Eventually I will know better when to speak my opinion to my college man and when to stay silent (there are some lessons best learned the hard way). There will come a time when I hug my tall boy-men and smile without pain knowing God has given me a good thing. One day my no longer child-like daughter will be my best friend (as I am to my mother) and I will smile knowing that growing pain is past. In a few years my marriage will be 25, I imagine I will love my soulmate more at year 25 then I do now at year 21.
My purpose is this... Embrace the growing pains and embrace the journey the Lord has placed me on. Some parts of the journey will be painful and other parts will be blissful, my purpose is to joy in the Lord in all. In every stage, in every pain remember, "the joy of the Lord is my strength."
Growing pains are indeed good!
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