Growing Pains

When my oldest son was 3, he began waking up in the middle of the night. We would rush to his room and find him gripping his shins, screaming desperately that his legs hurt.

My mind immediately went to the worst-case scenario. 

I rushed him to the pediatrician and was prepared for a flurry of testing. 
Instead, my pediatrician gave him a sympathetic look, turned to me, and said with a shrug, “Growing Pains.”

‘Uh. No way, Doc. You’ve not seen this kid. He’s in total agony. It’s heart-wrenching,’ I thought to myself. ‘It’s definitely something worse.’ 

But, sure enough, I started watching and a pattern emerged. 

Every few months, he would wake up a few nights in a row with these pains. 

The next few days, he’d be extra sleepy. 

And, sure enough, afterward, I could visibly tell that he had hit a growth spurt. 

Here’s the thing. Whether you are 3 or 63, when you’re in a season of growth, you can’t always recognize it as growth. You just know it 🤬 hurts. 

It might hurt mentally or even physically. It might hurt by way of restlessness, frustration, or angst. These could all be indicators that you are on the brink of (or smack dab in the middle of) a growth spurt. 

Also, true: it’s 🤬 exhausting. You are going to be tired, physically and mentally. And while a giant glass of wine might be a tempting alternative, there is simply no substitute for a good night's sleep. It’s critical in these growth seasons to listen to your body. Eat well. Get rest. 

Are you in a “season of growth” right now? 

Here are some questions to ask yourself: 

• What are you learning in this season?

• How might you find rest along the way? 

• What does support look like for you in this season? 

If this sounds like you, remember, while it might hurt right now, you’ll be on the other side of this soon and will look back on this season, two inches taller.