Grown.

One thing that a human, a bougainvillea plant, a coral reef, an economy, and a caterpillar has in common is growth. The interesting thing about growth is that it only happens in one direction and that is UP. I don’t know about you but I’ve never heard the phrase “grow down.” Development suggests some sort of expansion and elevation. It is important to understand that growth doesn’t magically happen, it requires the necessary elements for it to take place. For instance a seed on your kitchen counter top will forever remain just a seed until it is placed in its ideal environment to germinate and become a mature plant. That includes nutrient-rich soil, water, and light. How often are we being surrounded by the ideal conditions in our lives so that we can cultivate the person who we were destined to be?

Once upon a time, size 0 in jeans was my go to, but something happened. Now I can barely get those pairs of jeans past my ankles. Interestingly, the size of the pants was not altered and so that shift could only be attributed to one person and one person only and that was me. I changed. I outgrew those jeans. Growth requires change. Now that those pants are too small, I have to move a size up. My body was being nourished and as a result I grew beyond what was my go to.

Similarly, when we are exposed to more information, more love and more of who God is we GROW, in fact sometimes we flourish. Unfortunately, yet fortunately we outgrow some things. Things that use to fit us perfectly and intrigue us, no longer do. People we used to hang around, no longer interest us, spaces we once occupied seem irrelevant and restricting. Maturation calls for elevation. Sometimes our size 0 is all that we know. It’s our favorite pair of pants. We have so many memories with it and it’s been our old faithful.  But the thing about size 0 now is that although we love it, that doesn’t negate the pain and discomfort we feel when we try to fit into something we’ve evidently out grown.

We can attempt to stay in our size 0 by squeezing or trying our hardest to make some adjustments but the truth is it will never fit the same again, because our growth has called us to a higher level. The discomfort we feel when we attempt to make things work that we’ve become too big for is just a stark indicator that it is time to leave those size zeros, size up and perhaps get some new jeans, meet new people, visit new places, or start that new project.

Don’t get me wrong, there is nothing wrong with the size zero or the people and things you used to be okay with, it is just that you have done all you can and explored all avenues at that stage and now it’s time to move on to a greater calling. We have OUTGROWN size 0.

Sometimes we just have to leave them behind as we advance. Not everyone and everything can go to the next level with us and that’s okay because there will be people and opportunities predestined at the next phase of our lives, ready to push us into our purpose.

Last year, was a season of lessons and growth. This year is about the transition to a higher level. In other words, buckle up because we are leveling up. We are on this journey to living purpose filled lives and each stage we outgrow takes us higher in Him. Our next stage reads Up and Above.