Tuesday @ Ten word of the week is Grow!
All around us nature is announcing that Spring is just around the corner. Baby lambs frolic in the fields and daffodils open up their bright yellow trumpets along the walkway. New life. Rebirth. You can almost see nature growing right before your eyes.
What about us? As adults, how do we grow? How do we announce new life and rebirth in our life? How do we recognize and acknowledge our growth? Are we still growing?
When we were children, we could see our physical growth as our pants got too short and our hair grew too long. We measured our intellectual growth by the passing of grades and milestones at school. From learning our letters to algebra, we could easily see and recognize growth in our life. We recognize the stages of growth in our relationships from school chums to “boyfriends” and eventually marriage and the coming of children and grandchildren. Seasons come and go and time passes by, each moment marking the growth of our life.
In grade school one of the first science concepts we learn is about growth. We planted seeds in paper cups and then thrilled at seeing that first little green sprout poke its head up through the dirt. I marvel at the fortitude of plants as they force their way up through sidewalks and hard dense earth, reaching, growing towards the life giving sunlight. Amazing miraculous life growing right in front of us.
Seeds and plants need four essential components in order to grow healthy.
- Sunlight to warm the earth…then the sprouts….then plants…then leaves.
- Air to bring life through the plant cells.
- Water to refresh and nurture the plant’s growth.
- Minerals (dirt and manure) to bring food and nutrients that enable the plant to grow strong.
There are five areas of our life that we need to be striving to continue to grow and nurture…no matter our age; spiritual, emotional, intellectual, physical and relational. When we stop growing in all these areas, we start to shrivel up and die. Sometimes though, we get content in our own little world and don’t stretch ourselves up and out. We become stagnant.
Our lives should exhibit a balance of all five areas in order to give us true fulfillment and peace. Take a look at yourself today. Are you growing? Do you need to add some sunlight (or Sonlight) to nurture your physical and mental health? Are you breathing in life-giving air and rejuvenating your spiritual and emotional well-being. Are your relationships growing or have you buried yourself too deep in the dirt to allow you to interact with those around you. When was the last time you added some “minerals” to your life by reading a book, taking a class or just having a thought provoking conversation about history or art. If there is one thing I’ve learned as I have matured a bit in life is that it’s all about balance. When we’re out of balance in one or more of the five life components our whole being suffers and we find ourselves unfulfilled, angry, depressed, and bitter which leads to poor life and health choices.
So as Spring awakens around us, take time to look deep inside. I challenge you to think about the five areas of your life. Look for balance. Do you need to make some changes? Make time to soak up the sunlight, breathe in the air, refresh yourself with water and dig deep in the dirt….give yourself all that you need in order to grow.
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