Well, I missed it again. The grass turned green this week. I noticed it had happened when I took my Wednesday morning bike ride. The luscious green lawn along the lakefront was bright and beautiful. Tuesday, the grass had been dingy and dormant. But by Wednesday it had turned brilliantly green. Each year I hope to catch it in the moment it turns green, but every year I miss it.
I suppose there are some things we just can’t see when they happen. They only become clear in hindsight. It seems to me that spiritual growth is like that. If you try to watch spiritual growth as it happens, you’ll always miss it. But when you look back, you can see that it’s been going on all along.
It’s hard to see when you’re growing in Christlikeness. You know the Spirit is at work. You’re engaging in the process, reading the Scriptures and responding in prayer. You’re asking for help along the journey.
You’re metabolizing grace as it comes. But when you look inside, it might not seem like much is happening. But then, one day, you might notice you were unusually patient in a situation that would have really set you off in the past. Or maybe you find yourself eager to be generous in an area where you used to be stingy. All of a sudden, you see the growth. It takes you by surprise. It was happening when you weren’t looking.
So don’t grow weary in well doing, my friends. God’s doing a great work in you. One day you’ll notice everything is turning green.
And in the meantime, don’t forget that you’re loved, more than you know!
