I remember having to explain to my kids what growing pains were.  One of them looked at me and said, “You mean growing hurts?!  Well, that sucks.”

Yep, kiddo it does.

Because all kinds of growth hurts.  Emotional growth, relational growth, spiritual growth – none of it happens without the ache of stretching into something new.

I wish it could be painless.  I wish that letting go of past hurts – after learning important lessons – didn’t have to hurt.  I wish learning to open up to others and trust them with the deepest parts of us didn’t come with risk.  I wish that facing our past, admitting that it happened, and moving on was easy.

But it hurts.  And it does, indeed, “suck”.

There is, however, an upside.

I mean, remember how much fun it was when you realized you were taller than a parent or a sibling?  Or how weird it is to look back at pictures of yourself when you were super little?

There is an upside.  You will be stronger once admit to and deal with the pain.  You will be more compassionate when you admit that you have been hurt but refuse to wallow in it.  You will be able to interact positively with certain people once you release feelings of bitterness and anger, knowing that they will never change (or admit they need too!)

If you can deal with the growing pains and whatever issue they are related to, you will be a person who is more mature, more confident, more fun to be around, and more capable of healthy relationships.

Physical growth hurts because our bodies are stretching to new heights.  Emotional growth hurts for much the same reason.  It does indeed “suck” but the payoff is worth it!