Tailored Dreamsគំរូ

"Grow through it."

“We wouldn't ask why a rose that grew from the concrete for having damaged petals, in turn, we would all celebrate its tenacity, we would all love its will to reach the sun, well, we are the roses, this is the concrete and these are my damaged petals, don’t ask me why, thank God, and ask me how.”
- Tupac Amaru Shakur, The Rose That Grew from Concrete

I have heard this quote by Tupac countless times, and something that jumps out at me is that this rose followed all the rules, it was planted in soil, it was waiting patiently for its season to grow, and somebody in their infinite wisdom decided to build a sidewalk where it had been planted. If this rose could talk, the rose could’ve complained and murmured about how unfair life was, or it may have been discouraged because it had followed all the rules and still ran into a road block, but the interesting thing is that this rose decided to do what we all must do—grow through it.

When you encounter things that are not fair in life as you sometimes will, there’s only one choice, to grow through it. No matter how hard it is, how much you want to break down, choose to grow and not to groan. You can be like that rose, damaged petals and all.

God gets the glory through our scars, through the damaged petals—through someone looking on and wondering how we made it over. He gets the glory from doubters who see you occupying the position that no one thought you were qualified for, graduating, when dropping out was so much easier, raising the baby and transforming from teen parent to successful adult parent. The choice is yours. You can groan through or you can grow through it.

To continue to grow through it, close your eyes and answer these questions.
1. What am I learning to grow through?
2. When I’m frustrated, do I quit or push?
3. What areas in my life have I grown from in the past?
4. How can I help my friends grow?

In order to accomplish this, think through “head, heart, and legs” for each item.

Head - What will I need to feed my mind in order to accomplish these tasks?
Heart - How will I build up resilience to be able to maintain emotional strength?
Legs - What habits will I need to form in order to accomplish these tasks?

Prayer starter
God, I thank you, because of you I know I can grow through anything. I have the power to make it through any setback and convert my barriers into hurdles and jump over them into victory. Thank you for growth and continued progress in my life, and help me to always help those around me grow as well. In the matchless name of Jesus I pray, amen.