growing pains

I have a very distinct memory of being young and walking into my parent's bedroom in the middle of the night, tears falling down my face because my body ached. I could never fully express what I was feeling, so mom and dad named them growing pains. It seems like just yesterday my legs were tight with growth, my arms being stretched beyond their capacity. Those were aches that every child experiences during their growth process, but I was certain I was falling apart and no one else in the world had ever lived with such pain.

Last night mom asked me if I was okay. I can't say something is WRONG. But I would have to say I am living with some growing pains right now. These are growing pains of the spirit. I can feel my heart and soul being stretched; the refiner's fire is at work within my life, melting away the stone to create something beautiful for my God.

And I know that, like those pains of my early days, this is a period of growth in my life. I will come through this with a deepened confidence in my faith, a newfound appreciation of the holiness of my God.

"I guess I thought that I had figured You out.
I knew all the stories and I learned to talk about
How You were mighty to save.
But those were only empty words on a page.
Then I caught a glimpse of who You might be.
The slightest hint of You brought me down to my knees."
--Addison Road