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Growing Pains


Life is a process. It's a journey. The only real destination we have is death (and subsequently, unity with God if you're a believer). You will never stop learning and growing, ever.

When I overcame some damaging habits in high school, I thought I had made it.
When I untangled myself from a toxic relationship, I thought okay, now I've made it.
When I volunteered a whole summer at Lake Ellen, I thought yes, finally I've made it.
When I got into college and became a legal adult, I thought this is it, I have truly officially made it.

But I haven't made it, there isn't an "it" point to reach where you're finally who you are. There will always be another mountain to climb, but that's not a bad thing. Empty fields get boring after a while, don't they?

Life is all about change. It's all about growth. And even a little bit about death. Every single day you learn something new- even if you're not in school, even if you're not a student, you're still learning. Maybe it's just what that new day feels like. But stagnancy is nonlife.

All this change may seem like chaos, but it's okay. Through every stage and phase in life, God provides. One of His names is Yahweh Yireh. This literally translates from Hebrew to "the Lord will provide." It's in His name- He's going to give us all the opportunities and support and stuff that we need to do whatever we're called to do.

We are a masterpiece in progress, an unfinished novel. God is the greatest artist, the greatest author. This story that you're living is the story. And it's being written as we speak. I don't know about you, but that's pretty fantastic to me.

Throughout this growth, just like kids, we will have growing pains. But this great Author, He's also a Creator, a parent. We may need discipline, we may need room to learn from our mistakes, and we may need more help than we'd like to admit.

I don't know why each thing in my life has happened to me; why I have depression and anxiety, why I went through a toxic relationship, why anything happens.

But it's a process, and everything has come together to form me like a chisel on stone, and with every step I take, I get closer and closer to God. That's definitely worth it. Even if it's two steps forward one step back, it's worth it.

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