Growing Pains | An AMH Blog Series

**This post is for all the ladies out there.**

I had a slightly entertaining encounter several weekends ago in the women’s restroom at a wedding reception.  Several young girls had walked into the restroom and were picking a stall to use. Come on, we all do it, taking a peak before taking a leak.  So naturally, this girl looks in and then shockingly states after seeing inside the toilet, “There’s blood on the toilet paper!  Someone was in here throwing up blood.” Then tells her friends to come in and take a look with her. And my first thought was, oh when those poor girls realize where that came from …

Every woman remembers it

This is one of those growing pains every women remember, getting their period for the first time.

Without going into too much detail, I knew what was happening when mine first started, but I was too embarrassed to tell my mom about it.  I was actually out of town and my Great Aunt (amazing woman) helped set me up with all the necessary feminine hygiene products, and after that I kept it a secret. I stored my newly acquired pads in the closet and didn’t say a word to my mom when I got home.

This burned me up on the inside.  I felt like I was keeping some deep dark secret, that my mom should know about.

There are no secrets with God

I love how God is even in the minute details of our lives.  Looking back, I think the quiet nudge to tell my mom the truth was actually God speaking subtly to my soul. While this may seem insignificant, my heart was in the wrong place toward my mom. She was someone who God placed in authority over me to love me, care for me, and help me grow. And He was convicting me of that.

If we truly believe God’s ways are the best ways, and God has given us the Holy Spirit to help guide us, wouldn’t it be best to listen?  Ezekiel 36:26-27 (NIV) says, “I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh.  And I will put my Spirit in you and move you to follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws.”

Conviction draws us closer to His heart

I talked to someone recently about some areas in their life they were struggling in. I encouraged them through the convictions they were feeling.  Though guilt can make us feel distant from God, and we may want to pull away from Him, it really shows that we are still sensitive to the Spirit talking to us as God is calling us back to His heart and away from the things that are damaging us.

In a sermon I just heard at church, pastor Perry Stone talked about how God is gracious to convict us before He judges.  He gives us time to repent from our ways before allowing judgment to take place. Aren’t you thankful for that?!

Our darkest secrets belong in the light

So back to my story … I couldn’t keep my secret from my mom forever.  It just built up inside me until I eventually burst and broke down to tell her.  To my surprise, she didn’t get upset or flustered, but calmly talked to me about it.  Instead of whatever my mind made up that conversation to be, it ended up making me feel closer to my mom and silly for not saying something sooner.

As I have felt convicted in different areas over the years and as the Holy Spirit continues to work in my life and challenge me, I’ve learned the best way to react – is to just roll with it.  Knowing God is working through even the littlest details in our day to day lives to help us grow and learn to trust Him more.

Growing up isn’t easy.  But I love what’s written in John 14:26 (NIV), “But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.”  God’s got our back. He is the best teacher who will see through what He started in you. Philippians 1:6 (ESV) “And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.”

GROWING UP ISN’T EASY.

SOMETIMES LESSONS ARE LEARNED THE HARD WAY. 

An embarrassing story? A major mistake? What lessons did you learn the hard way? Let us know in the comments or on our fb page. The AMH team will be sharing some of our own life lessons in our April blog series – Growing Pains. And we’ll be compiling a list of your life wisdom to share at the end of the month! Follow along with us on the journey!