“Like newborn babies, long for the pure milk of the
word, so that by it you may grow in respect to salvation.”   1 Peter 2:2
My kids love to hear how much they’ve grown and being raised
in the South they’ve each heard their share of, “Wow, you are growing like
a weed!”  At this phase in life,
it’s easy to see how rapidly they are changing. 
It’s evident in the shoes and clothes that have to be replaced every few
months, the loss of teeth, a changing voice and an ever growing grocery
bill. 
My daughter measures her growth by where the bathroom
counter comes to her waste as I style her hair before school and my son by how
easily he can pick me up off the ground. 
Okay, I have to just keep typing here because if I stop, I will cry
(possibly for days).  Seriously, I no
longer pick up my son and carry him on my hip; he picks me up instead!
Anyway, my kid’s excitement at seeing their progress has me
wondering why I no longer get excited by my own growth. 
Last night, I had the opportunity to teach a girl’s Bible
study class at my church.  When I
discovered the subject was managing your emotions, I just knew this was an
assignment straight from God.  It’s a
topic near and dear to my heart because I’ve actually been working on managing
my emotions for the last couple of years. 
As I sat down to pray and make notes for the class, I was amazed at how
much I had to pass along…because I have grown! I was elated to see
that I was a few inches taller in this area than I once was. 
Whether it’s in my work outs, breaking bad habits, being a
good mom, etc., I tend to focus on all I’m lacking.  All I can see is how far I still have to
go.  I never stop to notice just how far
I’ve already come!
Leading the Bible study gave me the chance to do just
that.  It was like standing with my back
to a door frame ticking off a pencil mark and stepping away to see a big gap
between the me of two years ago and the me of today.  It was exciting!
It can be so easy to
get tied up in striving for perfection that we overlook all that
God has already accomplished in us.  But it’s
comforting to know that God doesn’t overlook our changes any more than you
could go without noticing your own child’s growth.  He sees, He acknowledges and He celebrates
your growth each and every day!

Today, I hope you will slow down enough to see, acknowledge
and celebrate just how far you’ve come. 
It might give you just the encouragement and excitement you need to keep
going!  You’re doing it…inch by inch, and
heading in the (W)right direction!