Growing pains are painful!

I have never had growing pains but if they are anything like faith growing pains, I don't think I want to experience them. Thank God for being short - no shin splints for me. :) But I only wish that growing in my faith was as un-painful as the last 21 years of growing physicially has been. It is like the moment that God suggests some growing and changing in my walk with Him, I wince at the possibilities of what He could be planning on doing.

I honestly think that growing in my faith this time has been the most painful. As soon as I saw the shears come out of His faith purning belt, I knew exactly what He was planning on doing. But I was by no means ready for him to cut that branch off. Now granted, it has been hanging by mere fibers but still I was not ready to let go. I would have perferred it to be duct taped back on but that was definitely not what God had in mind. So tonight the fibers by which that branch has been hanging by for several months were cut and o boy was it painful. I didn't even have the chance to look away as He counted to three - no, instead it was while it was staring directly at it that He chopped it from my tree.

So here I stand, one branch less but also with one less burden. I no longer have to worry about the stresses that come along with that branch or compromising that I may have to worry about. I am free from the pain and God is amazing for freeing me. I love God more than anything and I am unafraid to shout it from the rooftops knowing that it is when I proclaim his name that He will open up the floodgates. Praise His holy name!