24 April - Why Hard Seasons Don’t Mean God Has Left You (They’re Growing You)

There’s this really narrow strip down the side of our house where no one walks down, or really looks.

Over the last few years, every now and then, I’d glance down there, in a rush, hanging washing or pulling weeds nearby which are obvious, and I’d notice this little plant.

A weed. At least, that’s what I thought it was.

And every time I saw it, I’d think, we really need to get down there and pull that out properly"

But I didn’t and six months would go by and ’d look at it again.

Still there. Just a bit bigger. Another few months. Same thing as I'd take a quick look as I’d be doing something else. Oh yep, that’s still there… I should deal with that.

But I didn’t.

And over time, that “weed” just kept growing. Taller and taller until it was up the side of the house.

Until one day I actually stopped and properly looked at it and realised it wasn’t a weed.

It was a tree.

Like a full-on tree which had grown several metres tall. Taller than the eaves of our house in this tight little gap between our house and the fence where it was completely protected.

No harsh summer sun. No wind. No real pressure on it at all.

So when my husband finally went down there to dig it out, thinking it was going to be this big job - it wasn't

A couple of shakes. One good pull.

And it literally just came out.

No resistance. No deep roots. Just popped straight out of the ground.

And we both commented, "Wow… that grew so tall, and looked so green and leafy, but it wasn’t strong at all."

Which got me thinking that's what we can be like too.

We all love comfort and things to feel easy all the time. Not too hard. No resistance in our lives and as little as possible pressure, much like our tree growing all protected down the side of our house.

And when life does feel hard - when things don’t go how we planned, or we feel stretched or uncomfortable, it's so easy to think, "Why is this happening? Did I do something wrong and does God even care?"

But what if nothing’s gone wrong…and the resistance is actually part of the growth?

Because just like that tree, if everything in our lives is always easy and protected, we don’t grow roots.

We might look fine on the outside…but when life shakes us, there’s nothing holding us steady.

We grow strong because of resistance.

When we push back. When we have to dig in. When we keep going instead of giving up.

That’s what builds something deep in us.

And it’s why God knows exactly what we need.

He’s not distant from the hard parts - He’s right there in it with us .Not trying to make life harder, but more focused on making us strong rather than just comfortable.

As David, who knew a thing or two about "digging in and growing strong" said, “He trains my hands for battle, he strengthens my arm to draw a bronze bow.…”(Psalm 18:34 NLT)

“Even though I walk through the valley…You are with me.” (Psalm 23 23:4 NLT)

“In all things God works all things together for my good…” (Romans 8:28 NLT)

He doesn’t send awful things into our lives…but He will use what we walk through.

And instead of always manouvering us out of every hard moment and dropping us straight onto the mountaintop that we would rather be on, He walks with us through the valley.

It's there, whether we like it or not that we learn to stand an we grow some muscles, depth in who we are - some "roots".

So that when we do get to the mountaintop, we’re actually steady and strong enough to stay there.

If you’re in a season right now that feels uncomfortable and a bit stretching, maybe that doesn’t mean something’s wrong.

Maybe it means your roots are growing in God, and in discovering who you are, so you can grow strong!

✨ Action Steps

• Ask yourself: What is this season building in me?

• Notice where you’ve been wanting to pull back and take one small step forward instead

• Push back on the thoughts that try to discourage you and remind yourself that God is working all things together for your good and making you strong!

🙏 Prayer

Lord, thank You that You are with me always and that You are perfecting all that concerns me. You walk with me through the valley and You stand with me on the mountaintops.

Help me to keep my eyes on You and to trust You in the process, even when it feels uncomfortable and please shape me into all You created me to be and make me strong in the process. In Jesus’ name, Amen