Spiritual Stretch Marks
The first time I ever thought of this concept I was talking to the Adoptive Mother I chose for my son. I was in my eighth month and getting larger by the second. I noticed stretch marks all over my thighs and my belly and thought about how much I had stretched mentally and spiritually during that same time. I remember telling this sweet mother to be (jokingly) that I would get fat with gross stretch marks while she got gray hairs from mothering. I told her “you’re welcome” quite often. She would kindly tell me she was grateful, but wished she could get her own streaks to relieve the blessed experience I was having. When going through something that seems to be pulling us in ways we don’t think we can handle, we need to ask ourselves if we’re growing spiritually as rapidly as our bellies. Just as our babies need extra room to be comfortable in their new situation we too must give ourselves a place within us to grow, find peace, and ultimately come to a place where we are okay. Think of what a stretch mark looks like, feels like, and how visible it is to us and others. What do they represent? At first they are red, torn streaks of flesh that give our growing child a place that will house them for the remainder of their time with us. As the months go by they turn into a silvery reminder of our sacrifice. Sometimes stretch marks hurt, they ache and when others see them it shows them that you “grew” from your experience. Now, what do our Spiritual Stretch Marks look like? What do they represent? For me they grew more rapidly than I’d expected. And man did they hurt! Yet as I got older the pain left and I could see silver streaks that touched my life, and they’re more valuable than almost any other scar I’ve received. I had to grow and stretch mentally in my situation. I had to see the pain for what it really was, sacrifice and love. I had to look at where I was and learn to accept the new changes and make them a positive spot in my life. How are your stretch marks affecting you? Are you one to look at them, physically, as a remembrance of love? Spiritually are you expanding and stretching in a way that would make you a better person? Stretching is essential for our happiness and Joy!