Growth.....

When I was younger I was pretty tall, I was one of my tallest in my class. I use to have to stand in the back row for all the class pictures and I was pretty happy with that. But as I have gotten older I haven't really grown anymore... I'm 6 foot nothing. There is a few things that science says is the reasoning here... Reason number 1 - My genes in my family mixing and one coming out stronger than the other (my mum being short, my dad being tall...) Reason number 2 - I slumped my back to much when I was younger meaning that I put to much pressure on my spine... And finally Reason number 3 - My body was done growing.

I don't believe that once you are done growing you finish, what about your heart? How much does it grow when you are fully grown? What makes my heart grow? What makes the blood flow through your veins more and more?

Well my answer for that is Jesus. He gives me passion, heart and growth into the things that He has put in my life. He has put a passion in my heart for youth work, for seeing teenagers lives changed... Their perception on life changed, their family lives changed all for better through the love Jesus has shown me.

What happens when you don't accept your passions?

Well I sunk, I stepped back away from what was in my heart and slowly felt myself fall away... I mean I was me but it was just a shell from what was truly going on inside of me. Jesus still loves me, He still cares but I was just ignoring that. I pushed it away and chose to think about my own wants and passions more than His. My life was affected by it, Rachel noticed it, my friends noticed it... that I just wasn't myself anymore. So I need to change.... More of Him and Less of Me!!

This isn't a choice for me. I feel that if I truly want to serve Jesus I need to throw away my plans and passions for his. I need to show that my heart and my passion are his. This sounds like I'm going to be living someone else's life but really if I truly want to live for Jesus then I am living the way He wants me to live... Instead of Jamie calling the shots I need to jump into the passenger seat and let Jesus take the wheel.

I really like this picture about growth.

Flowers grow from a tiny seed that is planted and is tended to until it grows into something beautiful. But it grows towards light... when the flower is out in the garden it will grow towards the sun... and just as the flower grows towards the sun, we need to look towards the Son, so that we know how to grow and where to grow.

Its kinda cheesey but I like the idea of being a tiny seed and God looking after me and even when I have sprouted and shooted he still tends for me and looks after me.

So I guess I would say this to myself and to anyone who actually reads these...

Don't ignore your passion... because you will end up ignoring yourself.