As a new mom, a friend of mine regularly reported sleeplessness. Sipping hot drinks while her infant alternated between fussing and sleeping, she told me how it had occurred to her one late, loud night that her baby was doing his job:
He was growing.
The sweet little guy didn’t understand what was happening as his adorable cheeks filled out and squirming legs got longer. He didn’t have any way to communicate his needs or frustrations expect for fussing.
Listening to her gentle wisdom and his soft murmurs as he settled into her arms, it struck me that my growing is often done with kicking and tears too.
Growth is uncomfortable. Change, though we long for it, is jarring while it happens.
As God’s own children, though, we are invited to:
“Grow in grace.” –2 Peter 3:18
It’s striking that this is God’s invitation.
More often, we presume He’d like us to:
- Grow in guilt.
- Grow in obligation.
- Grow in fame.
- Grow in perfection.
- Grow in contentment.
We tend to act as if God doesn’t know it takes some adjusting to walk on longer legs. As if He isn’t aware it takes some time to get used to new routines when we lose a loved one, move, or say “yes” to a different opportunity to serve Him.
To us, grace is reserved for the “no”s of life, not the “yes”s.
- Fail in grace.
- Resign in grace.
- Settle in grace.
- Pretend in grace.
- Backpeddle in grace.
But again, we face the wonderful truth.
God says:
“Grow in grace.” –2 Peter 3:18