Noong ako’y bata pa, ako’y nagsasalita, nag-iisip at nangangatwirang tulad ng bata. Ngayong ako’y mayroon nang sapat na gulang, iniwanan ko na ang mga asal ng bata.

1 Mga Taga-Corinto 13:11

Have you ever noticed how quickly babies outgrow their onesies, diapers, and mittens? Kakabili mo pa lang ng isang set of clothes pero maliit na kay baby in just one month. Two times pa lang nasuot ang baby shoes, masikip na agad! ‘Yung rubber mats and crib na akala mong matagal pang magagamit, napagliitan na! Parang kailan lang, binili mo ang playpen na tingin mong masusulit hanggang toddler years, hindi niya kayang akyatin at hindi niya kayang mabuksan on his own; pero in just a few months, the baby has learned how to crawl her way up the guardrails!

Truly, babies outgrow their spaces and clothes so fast! Of course, that’s not a bad thing. We all know that outgrowing something means growing beyond. Most kinds of growth are good. Physical, personal, spiritual growth all mean improvement, moving forward, inching nearer to the goal.

While outgrowing means leaving something behind and moving forward to something else, sometimes, it comes with discomfort and pain o ‘yung tinatawag na sepanx or separation anxiety. But just like a baby who breaks free from the constraints of a tight space, such as a playpen, we need to accept that there are times when we have to throw off the shackles in order to get closer to our goals. It could be freedom from a limiting relationship, a job where we feel restrained to practice our faith, or a community that pressures us to do something that’s against our values. If we see outgrowing as a welcome change for the better, we can be more excited about the growththat comes after.