Have you ever considered those times in your life when you have grown the most? Most likely they were times that were full of challenge, in some shape or form. This is because our very best growth in this life occurs when our barriers are broken down in ways we weren’t fully expecting.

It takes vulnerability to grow. To evolve. To become who we are meant to be.

It takes a willingness to face those places that are not what they should be. To let them go. And to seek something better.

This growth process happens with individuals to be sure. But it can also happen with communities of people. When God spoke to the ancient Israelites, it was about growing together. When Jesus spoke the beatitudes and the Lord’s Prayer, it was about a group of people facing life together. When Paul wrote to the churches, he was writing to the body, not individuals.

Growth is hard. It can hurt. It can make us face our fears. It can bring out every fighting defense we have because change makes us afraid.

And yet, it is so incredibly necessary. Because we are meant to grow. To transform. To become who we are meant to be.

Sometimes it may feel like the world is closing in around us when we see a change that needs to happen but cannot quite climb the mountain. It may feel as though others are heaping mud and mire on top of us for daring to reach for a better world. It may feel like our strength is gone.

But never forget the words of Greek poet, Dinos Christianopoulos: “they tried to bury us, but they didn’t know we were seeds.”

Growth will happen, but only when we are willing to do that hard work it takes to pursue it.

The world is trying to grow. Are you willing to be vulnerable enough to join the fray?