Growing Pains

Yesterday I received quite the challenge from God...and today it was hard to follow through. I wouldn't be surprised if tomorrow is even harder.
It seems when God calls us to do something, it is usually to help us grow. He finds the weakness he wants to strengthen. and then he keeps moving the mark closer to Him. Our goal is always to be more like Him...so as he moves the mark closer and closer to Himself., I feel those growing pains here in my human frailty.
But here is the exciting part. Remember when you were little, and mom marked your height periodically on a wall or door jam in your house. Do you remember how excited you were to see how you had grown? To look at those marks and compare them. We need to be like that with our spiritual growth. We do not move from our height as a child to adult height, we grow in spurts. Sometimes there seems like long periods of time where we sit and see little growth. So step back and look at the marks...where have you seen growth? What areas can you mark the growth in? Be excited and celebrate it...and continue grow. And when you feel the pain...it is a sign of growth...so celebrate that as well. Accept his challenges knowing they will nourish your growth.