a GROWTH plan
Growth is something I think we would all want in some measure, but sometimes it can seem like life has squashed you into a tiny plant pot with no space for roots to go. How can we grow in such a place? This GROWTH acronym is rather cheesy but I quite liked the idea and have put some thoughts below. Please do add your own comments at the bottom.
Grace
The great thing about grace is that it doesn't require me to do anything - which is great if I can't currently do anything. What I can do is seek to reflect God's grace to all around me, to live in a gracious way, and seek to say gracious things.
Relationships
If things seem tight and there is no space for new relationships, to get to know lots of new people could be foolish and scary. But it is always possible to look at the people you do know and try and grow deeper with them. It is also possible to 'rebalance' relationships and make sure they are reciprocal [each person gives and takes the same amount] or that you have a healthy balance of giving and taking relationships.
Overflow
Small plant pots result in soil spillage - just look at the carpet in my hallway!! If there is no room in the pot, one of the positive benefits to this is that you HAVE to pass on much of what comes your way, including the good things. When we are struggling ourselves, it can say a lot to someone else when we think of their needs first.
Wisdom
Wisdom is something that comes increasingly with age and is something that is grown into. Sometimes the wisest thing to do is not say anything until you are sure it is the right thing to say and the right time to say it. This may result in a quiet period, but then following the growth might come some pearls!
Truth
Truth is when something that is 'technically correct' is spoken in a way that gives glory to God. Noise is when correct things are said in an unhelpful way. There is no value in just being 'right'. To be able to speak truth that others can hear, you need to have suffered - like God has...
Health
Health does not necessarily mean an absence of any symptoms. It can also mean the ability to live a fulfilling life even when things are not great. We all die after all, and most of us accumulate aches and pains as we grow. We can however make small changes in a number of areas of our lives even if we know we are not likely to be fully healthy any time soon.
Rob Waller, 25/06/2013