MEASURING

"Until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to maturity, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes. Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into the one who is the head, into the Christ, from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love" (Ephesians 4:13-16).

When I was a kid my parents would measure how much my brother and I had grown by making pencil marks on the inside of the front door at our cottage.  Many parents have done, and I hope will continue to do this little ritual of growth for their kids.

Last week I arrived a bit early for a visit at the Sisters of Life Centre in Toronto.  While waiting in the little chapel, and then in the comfy, cozy, Guadalupe parlour, I had the pleasure of listening to the sisters preparing to start their work day.

Something I heard one sister say about a donation left for their ministry with vulnerable pregnant women is what struck the measuring/pencil marks on the cottage door memory cord.  The donation was "something" for measuring a newborn baby's growth.

This conversation about measuring a newborn's growth also made me think about adult post-traumatic-growth (PTG).

By what do I measure myself now?

By my job and bank account?

By the number of my possessions and degrees?

By my good fortune and good health? 

Or do I measure myself by who I am, and by post-traumatic growth in the midst of a world marked by fear and anger, grief, loss, and uncertainty?

What do post traumatic and spiritual growth "inches" look like?

I don't know?

Amen.


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