However, about a week ago, I was talking with my good friend, Cassie. During this chat, she was discussing various struggles God had placed in her life that week. I told her, "Man it sounds like you have it rough this week." Her response caught me off guard. She simply said, "Growing pains, my dear. Growing pains."
After that we hung up and I got to thinking about what she said. How she had born her trials with a simple, humble dignity. Cassie has always blown me away with her attitude towards suffering. She takes it all in stride. She realizes that all the time and pressure God gives her is just a transformation process. She trusts in His will in scenarios where I would have just given up. Plus, honestly Growing Pains was one of my favorite shows growing up. So in an effort to relax and just think about her response, I tried to find the show online. During my search being the researcher that I am, I looked up the description. This is what popped up:
"It's hard enough to raise a kid nowadays but when you have to cope with THESE kids,
things tend to get out of hand! Dr Seaver, a psychologist and his wife Maggie Seaver,
a journalist, try to do their best raising their family and although their kids, Mike, Ben,
Carol and Crissie, cause them endless problems, they manage to keep the family close
together. As long as they got each other, nothing else matters..."
Replace a few words...and this would fit my family exactly!
"It's hard enough to raise a kid nowadays but when you have to cope with THESE kids,
things tend to get out of hand! Sid Stah and his wife Monica try to do their best raising
their family and although their kids, Rachel, Jason, Ehren, Katie, Emily and Laura,
cause them endless problems, they manage to keep the family close together. As long
as they got each other, nothing else matters..."
God loves using spiritual 2x4's to just knock some sense into me. Sometimes a gentle response just doesn't work for me. God was reminding me, that although I am gave up a lot to help my family. Everybody else is suffering just as much, if not more. God constantly puts my personal sufferings into perspective to remind that they just aren't as bad as I make them out to be. My parents made a huge sacrifice to take in two of my nieces and one nephew. It's put an economic, physical, and emotional strain on them. When I remember this, it reminds me to constantly die to myself and put their needs first. My parents needed the help and it is important that I remind myself of this everytime I wake up in the morning.
Growing pains has meaning on a more personal level for me. Once I sat back and looked at the situation, I really began to see God's hand in me being in Tulsa for the summer. He's been giving me a growth spurt in the virtues of patience, temperance, humility and compassion. I have been placed in the lives of these children by the grace of God and God willing I can make an impact on them. Because they sure have caused some growing pains in me. Yet none of that matters as long as we keep the family together and trust in each other.
Each day is a trial with the children, but man they sure are cute. God has taken a bad situation in the beginning that led me to Tulsa. Yet, once again He brought a beautiful lesson and opportunity for some growth out it. The kids are difficult, extremely difficult, and I'm not sure God is calling me to marriage anymore. But I love them and the lessons they teach me everyday.
Growing Pains: television and spiritual growth. At times it hurts or scares you, but in the end you always get a laugh out of the lesson.
