Yesterday was one of those "marker" days in the cycle of life. My youngest child officially became a teenager. On the books, she is officially "no longer a child" and, officially, I no longer have "kids." Oh sure, I still have two wonderful children, but (and they are none too quick to remind me), I don't have "kids."
It is amazing how quickly the time has passed. In fact, a family friend just had her first child the day before my daughter turned 13 in the exact same LDR in which my new teen came into the world 13 years ago plus one day. For our friend it was yesterday and for me, it just feels like yesterday. Where does the time go?
Both my daughters are amazing young women. They are virtually "trouble free" (I give all glory to God and continue to pray for grace to cover a multitude of parental stupidity) and I absolutely love the life we share together. Their mother and I couldn't ask for better kids... okay, truth be told they could keep their rooms cleaner, their bathroom cleaner and it wouldn't hurt if they'd volunteer assistance doing a few chores around the house. But other than that... no complaining here!
Watching my girls grow has given me some reason to pause and take account of my own growth in the same amount of time. My waistline is pretty close to the same size as when they were born (though North Texan fare is challenging that reality), my feet are actually a half size larger than they were 15 years ago (I've heard that happens... something about your arches falling or something... and your ears keep growing, too... that's just gross) and I've grown some wrinkles and a few gray hairs.
So much for physical growth...
As my baby girl turned 13, I began looking back at my spiritual growth over the same period of time. Parenting certainly has a way of sobering life and growing us up emotionally and spiritually. There have been many other influences as well. Some wrought with pain and heartache... but no one ever said growing up was easy, did they?.
My girls still are having growing pains... the 8 foot stick we have charting their growth every six months of their lives is a priceless possession. I don't know what we'll do with it when they are done "growing up." At the rate the older one is growing, we may use every inch of that 8 feet (gee, I sure hope not... unless there is room in the WNBA)!
I've been wondering if I could have charted my spiritual growth over the same period of time and what would it look like if I did. If there was an 8 foot spiritual "stick" in my formation closet, how high up the stick could we mark?
13 will soon be 26 for my youngest offspring and I can only hope we'll need a taller stick by then, if in fact spiritual growth is a "vertical" ascent (it may be more about getting "smaller" rather than bigger -- check out John 3:30).
How do you chart your spiritual growth? I have some ideas, but I'm curious what you think...
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