day 20 :: growing pains

This morning I woke up around 5:30.  So not like me, but my body was hurting, like not sure I can roll over in bed hurting.  I had almost forgotten that I had forced my body to do something it was not used to doing the day before.  I guess that 5K got to me :) .  I realize that my body was probably not in the physical shape it needed to be in to actually not hurt after such strenuous work.  But even though there was some pain after the fact, I wouldn't trade the experience for the world!  It taught me so much about myself.

In the same way this made me think about heart issues and the growing pains that go along with such things.  When we come face to face with things in our lives that are not our favorite parts of ourselves or the choices we have made eat away at the joy that we have once experienced, it might be time for some growing pains in our hearts.  I think that is something that the Lord is working on in this heart for sure right now.  Coming to terms with things that we may have pushed so far down in our hearts in order to grow and change into the people that the Lord wants us to be requires some hard and painful work.  There are times where we feel that we can't go on anymore, that no one will understand or that we will be judged and that the hard work isn't worth it.  But these are the times we are refined, restored and where the beauty rises from the ashes.

And just like those pains in my legs will eventually go away and will lead me to be able to do a 5K with less struggle...these growing pains in my heart will lead to a happier, healthier and restored Brooke.

keep growing...