Growing or Dying? A New Year a New Perspective...2011

Someone once told me“You’re either growing or dying” and the best explanation of such a cliche is that from the time a fruit begins its either growing or rotting. There is no in between, there is no plateau of time (unless frozen- and being frozen is technically death even though it holds off decay). From the point of ‘ripe’ it is now deteriorating to death and decay. You’re either pregnant or your not....Your muscle mass is either building or diminishing...Your heart is either pumping or its not. We are also either growing or we’re dying. How harsh a comparison to ones ‘spiritual life’ yet I see a sort of alignment in such a conclusion.

For me I always come back to a 'parent & child' relationship when I get stumped in theological heavenly realms. I see God fathering me and I know how I feel compelled to parent so it seems to clarify some things for me.  For some reason when I am drawing and shooting blanks I am somehow able to understand a situation if framed in such a relational way. Most people experience the parent/child relationship in one way or another at most times in their lives. I was asked “How are you spiritually growing?” and what a question it is. If over thought it could be just daunting but as a former preschool teacher I must simplify simplify simplify and then things don’t seem so hard. I frame such an answer to such a deep question in the context of metaphors, cliche’s, parenting 101 and early childhood abc charts I guess because I always understood the simple.

There seems to be such an awareness of spiritual growth in today's culture. I have many friends that are not affiliated with any one religious group yet are seemingly seeking the supernatural. There are Yoga studios on every corner and no matter how agnostic people seem to be, they do find comfort in alignment with something bigger than this world. There is a huge boom in metaphysical, new age and ‘spiritual’ quests of the like. There are workshops, books and Oprah shows exploring all the ways we could align ourselves with 'the universe'.  Is this awareness just because of my age or is this really a sign of the times? Maybe a bit of both- maybe my age allows me to see it more in my peer groups than when we were teens. But maybe the times are making room for more than just a few choice religious and spiritual mega groups to blindly just point and pick to for answers.

So as a parent when I ask myself “Is my child growing?" as if imagining God asking this question of me,  I am left with a few clear answers and descriptions. I should be able to draw from these to answer the above question. I categorize growth becuase there are such an array of choices when thinking about my children and I have a hunch so does God, considering all our gifts come from him.

Are they growing physically & nutritionally? Can I measure the external growth by standard measurements? Are they nutritionally sound by generally accepted standards of health and diet?
How is their growing environment? Is the place they have to grow safe, secure and healthy? Are they being exposed to different cultures, beliefs, ways of life, travels, food, music and the like?
Are they growing in an intellectual/academic way?  Are they at grade level? Is their education holistic and transcendent? Is information being given to them or accessible to them in many ways? Can they memorize and recite things like multiplication tables, scripture, poetry?
Are they growing in emotional stability? Can they process their emotions, are they learning about their feelings and their internal compass of empathy, sympathy, care, concern, and compassion? Are they developing a strong self image that is unique and not copied?
Are they growing relationally & socially? What relationships are strong? What needs work? How do they perceive the people in their lives? How do they respond and listen to the social cues around them? How do they view relationships with friends, adults, parents and God? Are they truly connecting and responding? Do they listen but also speak up when appropriate?
Are they growing in application? Can they apply what they’ve learned? Can they take something and pull from it like a tool in a tool belt later? Does information go in one ear and out the other or does it at least tinker around in there for awhile?
Are they growing in creativity and the multiple areas of intelligence? Must they be given strict guidelines or can they create within or without boundaries? Can they tap into uncharted, unmeasured circumstances and shift, mold and shape? How are they at being book smart, music smart, logic smart, picture smart, people smart, self smart, body smart, & nature smart. See "A Kid’s Guide to Multiple Intelligences" By Dr Thomas Armstrong for more details on descriptions if interested- I highly recomend!
Are they growing in Diciplines, Self control & Delayed Gratification? Have they learned, developed and applied age appropriate disciplines? Can they tie their shoes? Can they clean up after themselves? Can they use manners & follow rules? Can they pray before meal & bed time? Can they restrain themselves? Can they honor boundaries? Are they learning patience and that delaying instant gratification in one moment can have a great payoff at a later? Can they prepare in advance forseeing a need by being proactive? Do they practice gratitude, sharing and giving?

THEN if I come to the question...

Are they growing spiritually? I would think “Are they growing in all the above areas in a God guided, Divinely inspired, Biblically based manner?” I laugh when thinking about singling out ‘Spiritual Growth’ from all other growth. Since deciding to walk with Christ, its always been the foundation of everything else I build on. I put on the lenses of a Christ follower and from there all areas of growth follow through such lenses. Its as if I put on pink sunglasses and the whole world now has pink hues. If I look at my child’s growth and use the ‘spiritual’ foundation, then it effects the way in which I see fit to guide and lead them through growing in all other categories. It sets the rules,goals,  guidelines and standard for all growth- its the master key.

“Ignorance on Fire is better than knowledge on ice” is one I seem to agree with. Sometimes we over think things and sit on ice obsolete with all our brains and information. Other times we may make a fool of ourselves but our passions and actions make something happen. I have met people that know so much about God, scripture and the like that they are no earthly good. I have met people that are so smart in evolutionary theory, micro biology, and atheism that they are no heavenly good either. Both don’t DO anything to affect change or growth- they spend all their time thinking and ingesting information only to be able to argue and be pessimistic on all things theological and supernatural.

Then there was a story of a guy who knew little but his love for God and ever so scared decided to jump off a cliff at work and invite the office atheist to church. Shaking knees he trembled to the cubicle- he incurred deep resistance and was met with ever technical theological questions that he could not answer. He walked away in defeat and rejection. Only a few years later to have met a guy who was sitting next to the atheist at work and overheard the invitation. He and his wife went to church that night and it saved their marriage and their lives. His ignorance on fire was far more effective in this example...

A complex question holds a simple answer for me in the form of a few smaller questions- Have I grown more than I did yesterday? Am I farther along than I was last year? Have a made some great strides in the last decade? Every person has a different matrix system and finding one that works for you is no cookie cutter form. Some people are fighting a daily battle of substance addiction that must be a daily battle- one day at a time. Some people have fought a year of pain and setbacks or disease. Some people have had a decade lost never to go back and change- but now wondering 'what got done?' if anything. For me I like to set my goals yearly, my milestones in decades and my effort to reach such, daily. Tomorrow is an easy scape goat for getting nothing done and after all we're only promised today because once tomorrow comes it is now a 'today'.  While not every question above will be answered with great strides, if I can ask them in the first place and have a response- than I have grown in not just a wide variety of ways, but in the most encompassing, foundational, important way- Spiritually.