My son Sam brought home a tadpole the other day.
Boys and critters… gotta love it. We are currently housing a crawdad, a lizard, a homemade ant habitat, mealworms, tons of fish, and some dust bunnies. Lucky for Sam, I’m okay with a house full of God’s creation.
This tadpole is pretty cool, though. Watching him change into a frog has been quite an event in our house. He has been slowly losing his tail. He just doesn’t need it anymore. At the same time, he’s growing legs. His eyes have migrated from the side of his head to the top.
And any day now, he is going to become the frog that God created him to be.
You know what? We can learn from this process.
Once we accept Jesus, we start to evolve ourselves. As Christ saturates our lives, we begin to slowly change into the women we were created to be.
We begin to experience life-altering changes in the foundation of who we are.
- We release things we don’t need to hold on to anymore.
- We find solid footing, no longer needing to swim in the world’s current.
- The position of our eyes changes and we see life from a different perspective.
God allows situations and circumstances to change us.
Why? Because where we are isn’t working.
And God loves us too much to leave us there.
He makes us a sweet promise in Philippians 1:6. “And I am convinced and sure of this very thing, that He Who began a good work in you will continue until the day of Jesus Christ [right up to the time of His return], developing [that good work] and perfecting and bringing it to full completion in you.” (Amplified)
God is well aware of who we are supposed to be… and He will keep molding and chiseling and forming us into that creation.
How does He create this change?
- God will develop our patience by bringing us into relationship with those who test our last nerve.
- He will mold us into wise women by asking us to navigate difficult situations.
- We will become humble through knee-bending circumstances that make us face our pride.
Many in the Bible actually thanked God while in the midst of these white-knuckle times because they knew God was doing work in them. They knew these trials were going to make them better on the other side.
They learned to trust God.
Was it hard to do? Probably.
Was it painful? I would guess.
Did it require tremendous prayer and support? You bet.
But on the other side… once they looked back to see where they had come from… once they took a look at who they had become through it… they were grateful for the change.
God loved them too much to leave them where they were.
Sisters, He loves you just as much.
You know, I bet that tadpole felt some growing pains. He probably wondered just what was happening when legs began to grow and his tail began to disappear. Think about the odd feeling of breathing air when he was used to water.
It’s inevitable.
Sisters, as we walk through those times of change, we might experience the same pain, disbelief, confusion and shift in atmosphere as that tadpole.
But when God’s work is complete, we will look at Him and humbly say… “Thank you, Father.”
We will praise His faithfulness for moving us one step closer to who we were made to be.
©2011 careyscotttalks.com
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Shannon Milholland says
“We become humble through knee-bending circumstances”. I love that thought, Carey. I have also lived it. Some of the most difficult seasons of my life are those for which I most thank God!
careyscotttalks says
Shannon… I agree with you! While I’m not a happy camper going through those times, I am always… always… grateful on this side of it. 🙂
julia says
Loved this!
careyscotttalks says
Thanks for stopping by, Julia!
Jeanelle says
Thanks for the reminder that we often can’t see and understand the process of change taking place in us. How I have to trust that what God is doing is greater than what it feels like! I love how the tad pole has to lose it’s tail in order to grow legs. Holding onto that one today. Once again – thank you.
careyscotttalks says
Jeanelle… I’m holding on to it, too. 🙂
Heatherly says
Dust bunnies. Ha!
I’m so glad He didn’t leave me where I was at spiritually, even if it was a painful process…
careyscotttalks says
Het, thanks for laughing at my dust bunny comment. I thought it was very clever, too. Glad someone caught it! Love and miss your face!