A shrub tries to grow into a tree!

Growing can be painful. Not necessarily physical growth, but character growth. I often seem to have to learn lessons the hard way, through the pain of mistakes. Many of these lessons could be learned from seeing the experience of others and from paying attention to the results of others actions on their lives and the lives of those around them. But no, I have to make the mistake and fail and have the poor results for myself, and often I seem to have to do it again and again and again and again and... Well you get the point. I am thankful that sometimes, not often enough I'll admit, I do learn the lesson. I am thankful that sometimes I don't keep repeating that thing I did that causes so much trouble for me and/or those around me. I've grown a little bit as a person and I'm better off for it and sometimes those around me are better off too. God in His wisdom and patience has helped me grow by giving the thing in my life that I needed, whether I knew I needed it or not.