Labour and Deliver... an analogy for spiritual growth

I have to start by saying I can't take credit for this analogy. I was out for lunch with my friend Devon last week and she used it. I thought it was perfect and wanted to share.

Women get pregnant everyday knowing that they will endure some of the greatest pain they will feel in their lifetime to give birth to their baby. Even knowing this and experiencing it, we do it again and again. Personally, I did it 3 times and it was absolutely worth every contraction!

With labour and delivery, a mother knows that experiencing great pain will allow her to hold her sweet baby in the end. The outcome far out weighs the process hence babies continue to be brought into this world. So what if we looked at spiritual growth that way too.

Although it is hard to really know the outcome, could we all just trust that it is going to be great? Could we envision that the pain felt during the falling apart phase of spiritual growth will birth something so much greater than the process it took to get there?

I can speak from experience that my greatest spiritual growth has happened after enduring emotional pain. Feelings so deep from inside have surfaced to teach me lessons. Show me the truth. Guide me to a better path. It is during these moments that I often recite the serenity prayer to get me through, as well as remembering one of my favourite quotes ... Although it seems as if everything is falling apart, it is really just falling back together.

So next time you are moving through a tough spiritual test remember it's like labour and delivery ... birthing amazing new beginnings.