When I hear the word, “growth,” the first thing that comes to mind is space. I picture my Golden Retriever puppy who, only months ago, weighed just half of his current 65 pounds, and the space his hardworking body demands now that he is fully grown. I reflect upon my personal journey of healing and the vast temporal space needed for the slow, painful stitching of past wounds. I think of my kitchen table, cluttered with watercolors, pastels, and ink that serves as my workspace where I practice my craft. These spaces I consider are filled with energy and effort.

But, the truth is, Spirit-filled growth also needs spaces of surrender. A radio interview with concert pianist Simone Dinnerstein illuminated the mysterious nature of this concept. After months of struggling to practice and feeling disconnected from music in general, Simone felt frozen. She had gone from playing the piano six hours per day to only one or, some days, even less. Unsure what to do with this unfamiliar paralysis, she turned to a friend for advice. He encouraged her to make a recording despite her lack of practice. Out of desperation and without typical preparation, Simone turned to music that spoke to her soul and created what she feels may be the best recording of her career! “And it turns out that something was happening to me when I wasn’t playing. And I guess that is a good lesson to learn,” she reflects.

As followers of Christ, we do not create our own growth. To fully become who God made us to be requires periods of surrendered space to let the Holy Spirit “happen to us.” Like Simone, we will look back with mystery and wonder that growth was happening even when our contributions were so seemingly small.