What’s Growing Where You Can’t See?

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Foreign.

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Let me ask you something.

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Have you ever had a season where you're doing all the right things?

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You're showing up, being faithful, staying consistent, but nothing in your life actually looks different?

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Yet this can happen not only in our faith, but in our work, in relationships, honestly, in everything we do.

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You're still going to the same job, still having the same conversations.

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You're still praying the same prayers and waiting on the same answers.

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And quietly, maybe you've wondered, is anything even happening right now?

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I've been thinking about this a lot lately.

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Because growth doesn't always feel like movement.

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Sometimes it just feels like repetition.

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Hi, I'm Melissa, and this is my question for you.

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This is a space to slow down, to notice what God might be doing beneath the surface, right in the middle of your ordinary life.

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And today's question is one.

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I think many of us are living in what's growing where you can't see.

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Last time we talked about stepping into a new season without rushing to reinvent ourselves.

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And once you start paying attention like that, this question tends to surface pretty naturally.

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Because there are seasons where you're not falling apart, but you're also not seeing breakthroughs.

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You're just kind of there.

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You're still being patient with people who test you, still choosing integrity when shortcuts would be much easier, still praying, even when it feels repetitive, still saying no to things you've outgrown.

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And maybe you're still saying yes to things that might even scare you a little.

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And yet you're just not seeing a shift.

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If that sounds familiar, you're not alone.

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We've all been there.

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And that's usually when we start asking God, am I actually growing or am I just stuck?

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We tend to measure growth by what we can point to, things that we can see or sense or feel like a promotion, a relationship change, a clear sense of direction, or prayer answered in a way that makes sense to other people.

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And sometimes growth looks like material things, whether it's a nicer car, a bigger home, maybe designer clothes, or how much better our life looks on Instagram or Facebook when we compare it to our friends while we're scrolling and scrolling and scrolling and going through the comparison trap.

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We live in a world that tracks progress constantly.

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But some of the deepest growth seasons don't come with proof.

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They look like staying emotionally steady in moments that used to send you spiraling, like responding differently in conversations that used to trigger you, or choosing rest instead of running yourself into the ground.

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Or maybe you're trusting God without needing His Constant reassurance that he's still with you.

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And the tricky part?

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You don't always notice these changes while they're happening.

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You just know that something feels a little different, a little quieter, a little slower, a little less dramatic.

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And that can make you wonder if anything is even happening, or if maybe you're doing something wrong.

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Jesus actually talks about this exact kind of season.

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In Mark, chapter four, he tells a story about a farmer who scatters seed on the ground.

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After the seed is planted, life just continues.

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The farmer goes to bed.

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He wakes up.

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Days pass.

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Nothing looks different.

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And as you read this story, nothing about it feels spiritual or overly impressive.

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But Jesus says the seed is still growing, even though the farmer doesn't know how.

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That line matters because it tells us that growth doesn't require our constant awareness or our understanding or our ability to track progress.

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Some things God is doing in you right now are happening quietly without you even realizing it.

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Yet growth is still real, even when it's unseen, when it's quiet, and even when you don't feel moved or inspired by it.

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Let's think about roots for a minute.

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Roots grow quietly underground, forming the foundation before anything rises above the surface.

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Roots develop in places no one sees, in darkness, in silence, and without applause.

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And let's be honest, most of us don't love seasons like that.

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No one admires or compliments the roots.

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But roots are the reason the plant can withstand the winds and the rain, yet continue to grow.

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So maybe this season isn't about acceleration.

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Maybe it's about stability.

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Maybe God is steadying you before he moves you.

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Maybe God is strengthening your emotional resilience or your discernment, or your ability to trust without feeling like you have to control everything.

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That kind of growth doesn't look impressive, but it changes everything later, when you find yourself in the middle of a test.

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Joseph's story in Genesis shows this so clearly.

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Joseph receives a promise early in life, a promise that his life would matter and that God had something significant planned for him.

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But then his life moves in the opposite direction.

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He's betrayed by his brothers, sold into slavery, and taken away from his family.

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And everything that's familiar to him, everything that he knows.

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And just when things seem to be returning to normal, he's falsely accused and thrown into prison.

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Years pass.

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Not days, not weeks, but years.

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If Joseph were telling his story to us today, it would sound anything but inspiring.

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It would sound frustrating and so far from what a promise from God should be like.

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God, did I miss something?

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Was that promise real?

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Why does obedience keep leading me into unfair situations?

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But Scripture shows us what Joseph couldn't see.

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While he was serving, leadership was forming.

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While he was being treated unfairly, his integrity was deepening.

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And while he was isolated and imprisoned, discernment and patience were growing.

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So when the moment finally came, when opportunity met reality, he was ready.

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Not because life suddenly improved, but because growth had been happening quietly the whole time.

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God wasn't delaying the promise.

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He was preparing the person.

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That same pattern shows up in our lives today.

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Sometimes growth looks like putting in the work to stay consistent even when no one notices.

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It looks like choosing healing over bitterness, learning to pause before we clap back, and trusting God without needing constant updates or reassurance from Him.

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That kind of growth takes courage.

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Those seasons don't feel exciting, but if we let them, they will form us into who God created us to be.

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They shape who you're becoming, not just what you're achieving or what you can measure.

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Paul reminds us in 2 Corinthians, chapter 4, to fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen.

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Because what is seen is temporary and what is unseen is eternal.

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If growth feels invisible right now, it may be because it's happening beneath the surface.

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It's forming.

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What will hold you steady later in life?

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Here's a question you can carry this week.

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What might God be strengthening in me right now, even if I don't see results yet?

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You're not trying to fix this or force an outcome.

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You're just paying attention to what you sense.

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God may be strengthening in you.

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Create a habit this week of saying this quietly at least once a day.

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God, I trust that you're at work even here because he's working in the waiting.

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Even in the ordinary, repetitive parts of life.

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Don't let your faith be passive.

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Let it be grounded in trust.

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Just because things are quiet doesn't mean nothing is happening.

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God often builds depth before he reveals direction.

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That's not delay, that's care.

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He's an on time God, and His timing is perfect.

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So here's my question for you today.

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What's growing in you right now?

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Even if you can't see it yet, pay attention to what rises when life feels ordinary.

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That's where your growth is hiding.

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If this season feels slow but still steady, trust me when I say you're not behind.

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You're growing in ways that matter.

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In the dark places, in the lonely seasons, in the silent nights.

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Because God is already at work beneath the surface.

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Until next time, keep asking, keep listening, and keep trusting that quiet growth is still real growth.

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Foreign.

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If today's Question stayed with you, I'd love to keep the conversation going.

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Each week I send a short email called this Week's Question A Quiet Invitation, and it's a simple reflection to help you stay grounded, to pay attention, to dive deeper into God's word, and to walk with God throughout your week.

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You can sign up at my question for you.com bringing you encouragement for your spirit and wisdom for your walk.

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Sam.