Stretch Marks

My son has been trying to get into the gym lately, wanting to put on some muscle. Today, we were out on a walk, and he flexed his arm and said, “Look, I have a stretch mark!”

He was so excited.

I laughed. Honestly, how many people do you know who get excited about stretch marks? I kind of chuckled and even said that out loud. But without missing a beat, he looked at me and said, “Well, it’s a sign of growth.”

And just like that, it hit me.

How often do we go through seasons of growth in our own lives when God is stretching us, and we completely miss it? Or worse, we resent it?

Because let’s be honest… growth doesn’t usually feel good.
It feels like pressure.
It feels like pulling and tugging.
Sometimes it looks like worry.
Sometimes it looks like waiting.
Sometimes it feels like outright pain.

And in the middle of all that, gratitude is usually the last thing on our minds.

We don’t see it as a blessing when we’re in the stretch.

But maybe we should.

Because when you really step back and look at it, those hard, uncomfortable, stretching moments… they’re not random. They’re not pointless. They’re not something to just “get through.”

They’re signs.

Signs that something is happening.
Signs that we’re being shaped.
Signs that we’re growing into who we’re meant to be.

Just like my son’s excitement over something most of us would overlook or even dislike, maybe we need a shift in perspective. Maybe we should embrace what we’ve been frustrated with, and what we’ve been praying to get out of. Maybe we should celebrate the little wins that SHOW we’re getting closer to the goal. Maybe next time you find yourself in a season that feels like stretching where it is uncomfortable, uncertain, even painful… pause for a moment.

Instead of asking, “Why is this happening?”
Try asking, “What is this growing in me?”

Then, get excited about your stretch marks!