Over the last two years or so of my life I’ve tried to discipline myself to be constantly asking the question, “What are you telling me now God?” From the significant experiences like relocating my family to the mundane ones like brushing my teeth, I feel that God is there, and waiting to be heard. He spoke to me last week yet again.
Last week my daughter, Felicia, came down with strep throat. Exciting times for mom and dad to be sure. I suppose these things are typical in childhood so we should just get used to it. So my wife, Krissy, took Felicia to her pediatrician to get it checked out. As usual during these visits to the doctor they checked Felix’s height and weight. My five-year-old daughter weighed in at a ginormous 38 lbs. She is in the 30th percentile of five-year-olds for weight and 80th percentile for height. In other words: she’s tall and skinny. This is all well and good and she isn’t unhealthy or anything of the sort. Every kid is different in their growth rate so there is no real way to gage these things. But the interesting thing is that two years ago when Felicia went in for her three-year-old appointment and immunizations, she weighed 36 lbs. This means that over the last two years she has grown an average of one pound per year. As my wife explained this to me my mind clicked into “What are you telling me now God?” mode and I listened for His answer. His answer came quickly.
If you have been a Christian for at least a year you have probably had what is known in “Christianese” to be called a “spiritual valley.” That is to say that you have experienced an extended period of time where you didn’t feel like you were getting any closer to God. You may have been doing all the “right things” like praying often, reading the Bible regularly, and consistently attending church; but you still didn’t feel like you were getting to know God any better. The relationship didn’t seem to be moving forward. These “spiritual valleys” are completely normal and should not cause anyone to distress. A point God made clear to me through my daughters lack of weight gain over the last few years.
You see, as I listened to God that day he made it clear to me these times of apparent lack of spiritual growth are usually not that at all. He said, “John, sometimes I feed people, and sometimes I stretch them. And it’s not for anyone but Me to decide which one I do and when I do it.”
God is not in the business of abandoning us when we are trying to get closer to Him. Quite the contrary. The Bible is filled with promises from God that He will never leave us; that there is nothing that can separate us from His love. So maybe in these times of spiritual dryness; maybe in these periods of where we are not putting on any “spiritual weight” it’s because God is stretching us and not feeding us. He is showing us our utter dependence upon Him and reminding us to stay connected to our source. Maybe the spiritual hurt and pain we perceive as a separation from God, is actually the effects of Him stretching us. And that is a comforting thought.
“Sometimes I feed people, and sometimes I stretch them. And it’s not for anyone but Me to decide which one I do and when I do it.” I am in your hands God. Do with me what You will.
Last week my daughter, Felicia, came down with strep throat. Exciting times for mom and dad to be sure. I suppose these things are typical in childhood so we should just get used to it. So my wife, Krissy, took Felicia to her pediatrician to get it checked out. As usual during these visits to the doctor they checked Felix’s height and weight. My five-year-old daughter weighed in at a ginormous 38 lbs. She is in the 30th percentile of five-year-olds for weight and 80th percentile for height. In other words: she’s tall and skinny. This is all well and good and she isn’t unhealthy or anything of the sort. Every kid is different in their growth rate so there is no real way to gage these things. But the interesting thing is that two years ago when Felicia went in for her three-year-old appointment and immunizations, she weighed 36 lbs. This means that over the last two years she has grown an average of one pound per year. As my wife explained this to me my mind clicked into “What are you telling me now God?” mode and I listened for His answer. His answer came quickly.
If you have been a Christian for at least a year you have probably had what is known in “Christianese” to be called a “spiritual valley.” That is to say that you have experienced an extended period of time where you didn’t feel like you were getting any closer to God. You may have been doing all the “right things” like praying often, reading the Bible regularly, and consistently attending church; but you still didn’t feel like you were getting to know God any better. The relationship didn’t seem to be moving forward. These “spiritual valleys” are completely normal and should not cause anyone to distress. A point God made clear to me through my daughters lack of weight gain over the last few years.
You see, as I listened to God that day he made it clear to me these times of apparent lack of spiritual growth are usually not that at all. He said, “John, sometimes I feed people, and sometimes I stretch them. And it’s not for anyone but Me to decide which one I do and when I do it.”
God is not in the business of abandoning us when we are trying to get closer to Him. Quite the contrary. The Bible is filled with promises from God that He will never leave us; that there is nothing that can separate us from His love. So maybe in these times of spiritual dryness; maybe in these periods of where we are not putting on any “spiritual weight” it’s because God is stretching us and not feeding us. He is showing us our utter dependence upon Him and reminding us to stay connected to our source. Maybe the spiritual hurt and pain we perceive as a separation from God, is actually the effects of Him stretching us. And that is a comforting thought.
“Sometimes I feed people, and sometimes I stretch them. And it’s not for anyone but Me to decide which one I do and when I do it.” I am in your hands God. Do with me what You will.
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