You Are Growing, Even When It Feels Like You’re Not

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You Are Growing, Even When It Feels Like You’re Not

TRUST THE PROCESS YOU ARE GROWING EVEN WHENIT DOESN’T FEEL LIKE IT

You have been doing the work. You have been showing up to the page. You have been honest with God. You have been “tending the soil.”

And yet…

You still snapped at your kids. You still felt that hot sting of envy. You still fell into that familiar feeling of overwhelm.

The Lie of Failure

That is when the guiltiest voice of all whispers.

“It’s not working.” “You’re not growing.” “You’re still the same.” “You’re failing.”

I want to ask you to look out the window. Here in Cape Town, even in summer, the trees do not seem to be doing much.

But deep under the ground, something is happening.

Hidden from the world, their roots are stretching. They are seeking water. They are building a foundation so strong that they can withstand the storms.

Speed vs. Depth

This is what your quiet, faithful work is doing.

Spiritual growth is not a loud, sudden “bloom.” It is the deep, quiet, unseen work of the roots.

God is the perfect gardener. He is not concerned with your speed. He is concerned with your depth.

You are not failing. You are rooting.

Consider this encouragement. The fact that you notice your impatience is proof. The fact that it bothers you is the clearest sign of growth there is.

yOUR PROMPTS

Prompts for Seeing “Unseen Growth”

Use these prompts to dig beneath the surface.

  • Redefine “Growth”: “What if ‘growth’ this year doesn’t mean ‘perfection’? What if it means ‘quicker repentance’? What if it means ‘softer heart’?”
  • The “Then vs. Now”: “Think about a similar struggle I had last year. How did I handle it THEN? How did I handle it THIS time? (Did I recover faster? Was I kinder with myself?)”
  • The Rooted Truth: “My feelings of ‘failure’ are loud. But God’s quiet truth about my growth is…”
  • A Prayer of Trust: “Lord, thank you for the deep, unseen work you are doing in me. Help me to trust the ‘rooting’ season. Even when I can’t see the ‘bloom’.”

yOUR ACTION POINT

Your Action Point: The “Evidence of Grace” List

We need to track the small shifts.

  1. Turn to a fresh page in your journal.
  2. Title it: “Evidence of Unseen Grace.”
  3. Look for “quiet shifts.” Do not look for “big wins.”
  4. Write. Once a week, write down one small, “mustard seed” sized piece of evidence that you are growing.
    • “I felt the ‘snap’ of impatience coming. I took a breath first.”
    • “I felt guilty. But I didn’t let it spiral all day.”
    • “I chose to go to bed instead of scrolling.”

This list will become your holy record. It tracks God’s real, steady work in your life.

With grace, Debbera