GROWTH WORDS

PRACTICE: Make a list of words that cause you to think of personal growth.

CHASTENING, ADVERSITY, DISCIPLINE, AFFLICTION are not the kind of words that I want used to describe any situation that I may be facing. If these words are appropriate, then something in my world is not going exactly right. Chastening- to be corrected by some sort of suffering – to cause to be humbler and restrained -who wants that!? And what about adversity – state of continued difficulty or misfortune – affliction - a cause of persistent pain or distress. NO, I do not want to be in a place where these words are applicable to me or my loved ones…Period. Unfortunately, and fortunately, we don’t get to live a life where we get everything we want, when we want it. NOPE NOT GOING TO HAPPEN! At some point, we all will have a “suck it up, live through it and move on moment.” We grow because we have gone through it.

Think about that for a moment! I have not talked to a single person since March 2020 who hasn’t felt chastened or afflicted, disciplined or faced some adversity and ultimately had to decide to keep living. The introvert loves not having to interact with people in general but misses the children/grandchildren etc. The extrovert needs people to thrive and are afflicted by loneliness. And I, an introvert who has trained myself to be an extrovert, am totally conflicted. I have periods of loving the isolation and periods filled with longing for interaction with others outside my bubble, to freely roam the streets and shop for something other than food.

So, what have I learned about this chastening, adversity etc.? It has the potential to produce incredibly sweet fruit if I allow the fruit to ripen.

In my longing for others outside my bubble (I love my bubble mates by the way), regularly scheduled face to face interactive session with my pre-Covid dining girlfriends has saved me a ton of money AND our conversations have morphed into talking about things that matter. Inside the bubble, my culinary skills have been honed and my creative juices have flowed abundantly…Fruit-sweet fruit born out of adversity. I know there is more to come. I know that I am waiting impatiently for all of this to end. I would be lying to you if I didn’t share my frustration with the adversity. But I like some of the end results.

Psalm 94:12

PONDER THIS THOUGHT – Longing for what was or what is to come, never shortens the duration of what is.