Grow Through It: 7 Healing Practices That Cultivate Resilience a 7-Day Reading Plan by Essie Fayeনমুনা

Connect with God—Practice Learning from Life’s Lessons

Psalm 119:66 NKJV

“Teach me good judgment and knowledge,

For I believe Your commandments.”

Psalm 119:71 NKJV

“It is good for me that I have been afflicted,

That I may learn Your statutes.”

Over my lifetime thus far, I’ve learned that growth requires evidence of positive change. Walking through my divorce helped to teach me a few life lessons that challenged me to grow and learn not to repeat mistakes.

One of those lessons centered on what I’ve observed in nature about the process it takes for plants to grow. Plants produce offspring by making seeds that contain genetic information to produce a new plant. The purpose of growth for every living organism—including humankind—is to produce the next generation. In essence, our goal is to produce a legacy that enriches and serves the next generation.

When a living organism grows, there is tangible evidence of that growth that is demonstrated by positive change. Something has positively changed about the organism physically or functionally. This evidence of growth shows progress and often stems from teaching and learning. The person who constantly learns is one who also continually grows.

Psalm 119 encourages us to view trying times as our teacher. We can learn valuable life lessons when we experience affliction, discomfort, pain, loss, lack, and other struggles. Due to these experiences, we can learn about life, ourselves, God, and others. These challenges can be seen as our treasured teachers and guides. Learning from life will cause us to think, do, and say something different in order to gain different results.

Father God, help me to learn from my life’s lessons. Grant me wisdom and understanding to change my behavior, perspective, practices, and make better decisions.

Grow Through It: What is the tangible evidence that we are growing mentally, physically, spiritually, financially, professionally, and socially?

Positive change is evidence of growth; stagnation is its opposite.