I had one of my favorite nostalgia TV shows on in the background the other day. One of the comic relief characters was sitting at the counter of a diner, talking to someone about his latest diet. He said, “I just wanted to clean out the pipes, refocus the arteries. I want to get the healthy glow of someone who consistently goes to the gym… without having to go to the gym, of course.”
Me too, buddy. Me too. In all transparency, I enjoy working out. It’s my stress relief; my part of the day that’s just for me. All snacks, and diaper changes, and homework checks can wait a half hour while I move my body. But even so, I can relate to this sentiment. If it were possible, I’d love to be fit and healthy without having to put in the work. I’d love to know all kinds of things without putting in the time to study and learn. I’d love my life to be all fun and no discipline. I’d love to reap without sowing.
But of course, life doesn’t work this way. We reap what we sow. And while everything can’t be planned and achieved, our lives often reflect our habits. Even our struggles and hardships can be leveraged into growth sometimes. I think about stretching our muscles, to continue with the exercise metaphor. I might not be able to touch my toes today. If I make a point to stretch every day, if I endure that bit of discomfort, then I might be able to touch my toes in a few weeks. Or at least get closer to touching my toes than I could before I started stretching.
I was talking to a friend the other day. She’s going through a new, challenging season at home. This new season requires her to learn new methods of communication, and have new sensitivity to the family’s needs. Every day, she needs to make the conscious choice to show love to the people around her, even when it isn’t her first, natural response. As she was describing her situation to me, she tossed out a comment that stopped me in my tracks. “It’s good, though,” she said. “God is really stretching me. And that’s what we want, right? We want God to stretch and grow us.”
What a contrast to that silly TV show quote, right? Instead of saying, “I want all the blessings and none of the stretching,” my friend was saying, “God stretch me, so that I can increase my capacity.” She knew that there’s blessing in the stretching; that God’s goodness meets us in times of growth and challenge. And even though the stretching is uncomfortable, even painful sometimes, this is often how God increases our capacity and makes us look more like Jesus.
So, however you’re being stretched today, whatever discomfort you’re living with, try to take my friend’s perspective. “This is what we want, right? We want God to stretch and grow us.” Instead of avoiding life’s pain points or situations where we’re out of our depth, let’s enter in and know that God uses the stretching to grow us and sanctify us. Let’s focus on the rewards of Christlike character and increased fruit of the Spirit, even if those rewards have yet to materialize. Let’s endure the stretching. God is there, and even in the discomfort, there are blessings to be found.
Elise
