A favorite fish of many hobbyists is the Japanese carp, commonly known as the koi.
Potential
The fascinating thing about the koi is that if you keep it in a small fish bowl, it will only grow to be two or three inches long. Place the koi in a larger tank or small pond and it will reach six to ten inches. Put it in a large pond and it may get as long as a foot and a half. However, when placed in a huge lake where it can really stretch out, it has the potential to reach sizes up to three feet. The size the fish grows is in direct relation to the size of its world.
Outside Our Comfort Zone
Doesn’t that compare to people? Our growth is determined by the size of our world. Not the world’s measurable dimensions, but the mental, emotional, spiritual, and physical opportunities we expose ourselves to.
Realizing that growth comes from moving out of our comfy, cozy, neat little comfort zone can help us accept the upheavals and uprooting that the Army brings upon us. However, look beyond the Department of the Army. God is ultimately in control of your life. It is he who allows people and organizations to pull you from your “little pond” and thrust you into the ocean with all its dangers. But he does this in love and growth will be the result.
“For God knows the way I take,” said Job, “and when he has tried me, I shall come forth as gold” (Job 23:10).
Prayer
Dear Father in heaven, when I am pulled out from pleasant circumstances and familiar surroundings and supportive friends, remind me that you are trying to help me stretch and grow. Through all such adversity, strengthen my faith and fortify my character. Amen.
