When Growth Feels Slow: Trust the Hidden Work

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Well, hello my valued listeners, and welcome back to another episode of Living in Your Power.
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I'm your host, Dr. Marlene Greenleaf, and I'm so grateful that you've chosen
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to spend this time with me today.
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Now, as we continue our June theme, Freedom to Flourish, Growing into What God Has Planted,
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We've spent the month reflecting on being planted with purpose,
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embracing pruning, and learning to bloom where we are.
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But today, today we're talking about a season that can test our patience more than any other.
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That is the season when growth feels slow.
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And today's episode, the fourth in our journal series, is titled, When Growth Feels Slow.
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So let's dive in.
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Now, let's be honest. Most of us like progress.
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We like seeing movement. We like checking things off the list.
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We like evidence that our efforts are producing results.
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But growth doesn't always happen on our timeline.
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Sometimes we're doing all the right things.
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We're praying, we're showing up, we're learning, we're growing.
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And yet, nothing seems to be changing.
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At least not on the surface.
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And those are the moments when discouragement can begin to creep in.
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We start questioning ourselves. questioning our path, questioning whether the
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work we're doing is making any difference at all.
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Does that sound familiar to you?
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It is to me because I have been down this path. I definitely have.
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And our scripture today is Galatians 6.9 for the New Kings Version.
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And it says, And let us not be weary in well-doing, for in due season we shall reap if we faint not.
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Now, I love the honesty in the scripture, because it acknowledges something
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very human, and that's weariness.
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The scripture doesn't say we won't get tired it doesn't say we won't become
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discouraged it simply reminds us not to stay there because there is a promise
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attached to perseverance,
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and that promise says in due season,
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not your season not my season but due season that means It's the appointed season, the right season,
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and the season that comes after preparation has done its work.
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Now, one of the challenges of slow growth is that we often focus only on what we can see.
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But some of the most important growth happens beneath the surface.
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Think about a seed, for example. For a period of time, nothing appears to be
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happening once we've planted that seed.
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Yet, beneath the soil, everything is happening. The roots are forming.
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Life is developing. And strength is being established.
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And if someone judged the process too early, they might assume nothing was growing at all.
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And the same can happen in our lives. You may not see immediate results, dear listeners.
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But that doesn't mean growth isn't occurring.
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You may not see the breakthrough, but that doesn't mean preparation isn't happening.
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You may not see the harvest immediately, but that doesn't mean the seed isn't developing.
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Growth often becomes visible long after it begins.
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So let's return to this promise.
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Where it says in due season we shall reap if we faint not,
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it says not might reap not could reap but it says shall reap but the invitation
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is to remain faithful while we wait,
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So your empowerment prompt for this week I want you to take a few minutes this
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week And reflect on these.
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Where am I feeling discouraged by slow progress? Am I measuring growth only by visible results?
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What might be developing beneath the surface that I cannot yet see?
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And how can I remain faithful in this season of waiting?
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Now as always, I'm going to repeat those prompts for you.
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The first one says, where am I feeling discouraged by slow progress?
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Am I measuring growth only by visible results?
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What might be developing beneath the surface that I cannot yet see?
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And how can I remain faithful in this season of waiting?
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Remember, slow growth is still growth And faithfulness is never wasted.
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So in closing, my friends If growth feels slow right now I want you to take heart,
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And don't mistake quiet seasons for unproductive ones Don't mistake waiting
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for failure and don't underestimate what God may be cultivating beneath the surface.
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Stay rooted, stay faithful, and trust that what has been planted will flourish
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in its appointed season.
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So I don't know if this message, I know for a fact that this message was meant
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for me because I am definitely in that season of waiting.
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And if you are, I want you to remember this.
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Remember.
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To stay rooted, to stay faithful, and don't underestimate what God may be cultivating
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beneath the surface on your behalf.
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Okay? Trust that what has been planted will flourish in its appointed season.
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I want to thank you for joining me for episode 4 of our June series,
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Freedom to Flourish, Growing into What God Has Planted.
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And next week we'll close out our June journey with flourishing in every season.
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So until next time, y'all listeners, I want you to live boldly in your power today.
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And if it gets tough, just breathe.
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You still got the strength to rise. so until next time,
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I want you to stay rooted stay faithful and continue to live in your power.