Growing Pains

In my quiet time with God this week I have been asking Him to grow me and to take me to the next level. Growing pains hurt a lot, but the end result is worth the pain. When I ask God to stretch me, I know that I will have to put my share of the work in. I can't just expect God to say, "Presto, Emily you are entering level 10." It doesn't work that way. Jesus Christ will give us situations and He will bring people our way to help us grow. Bad situations can help you grow by how you respond to them. Today God was helping me grow in the area of taking advice. I once read that there are stages to a woman's life. They are as follows:

Daughter: Learning
Wife: Learning put to test
In-Between: Patience
Mother: Teaching
Grandmother: Service

Right now I am in the "learning" stage. I read a chapter in Proverbs daily and today's verses talked about taking advice.

Proverbs 7:1-4
"My son, keep my words and store up my commands within you. Keep my commands and you will live; guard my teachings as the apple of your eye. Bind them on your fingers; write them on the tablet of your heart. Say to wisdom, 'You are my sister', and call understanding your kinsman."

Allow God to stretch you today. The growing never stops--we will never be perfect, but we can grow closer to Jesus every day.