I’m such a nerd! Whenever there’s an opportunity to take a class, I get so excited. When I was little, I would actually cry if I had to miss school. Can you believe that? Okay, that’s probably no surprise. I just loved to learn. I never faked a stomach ache to get out of school; it was just too much fun. Throughout my life, I have been blessed to learn from some of the best teachers.
One teacher in particular is ever-present. He holds class at all hours of the day and in some of the strangest locations. He once caught me off guard when he decided I needed a lesson in betrayal. I was so involved in the pain of it all that I didn’t even know I was in class. His determination to school me really gets on my nerves sometimes. In fact, there are 7 lessons that I never wanted to learn.
My mother was right. Like most children, I thought she was only trying to kill my joy when she said, “When you get grown, you’ll appreciate the rules of this house!” As it turns out, the “unreasonable” strict rules were actuallyto protect me. She was trying to instill self-respect, responsibility, and discipline in me. The nerve!
Bad things happen to good people. I used think that if I was a good person, then life should be easy. My easy life only lasted until I was about eight or nine-years-old when I was molested for the first time. I was a good person.
Revenge isn’t sweet. When I think about the times I’ve taken the low road, I get a sour taste in my mouth. I’m ashamed to say that too many times I ignored my good bible teaching and let my mouth have its way. I figured I had earned the right to be as nasty to someone as they were to me. When I deservingly ended up on the receiving end of revenge, it hurt. It wasn’t sweet at all.
People can love you and still hurt you. I’m a huge fan of inspirational, thoughtful, and encouraging quotes, but I get a little edgy when I see quotes that say: “If they love you, they won’t hurt you”. That’s a misleading half-truth. Not all hurt comes from a hateful or unloving place. It’s possible to deeply love someone and still say or do something hurtful. How do I know? I’ve done it.
People don’t need a reason to dislike you. No one wants to be rejected. We are taught from our toddler years to get along, to be friendly, and to accept others. As we grow up, we meet people who just don’t like us. They make no attempt to be friendly or accept us and we cannot figure out why. It doesn’t matter really. If you know you haven’t wronged them, keep it moving.
Bullies go to church. Yep, this one is tough one, but it’s true. There are people who will try to force you to believe what they believe and will reject you when you don’t. No denomination is exempt from this behavior. People are human. Some of them walk in the flesh and some in the spirit. What a mistake to think that everyone who attends church will love you or even treat you fairly. Just because they’re in the building, it doesn’t mean they’re in the body.
I don’t know everything. Enough said.
I’ve learned so many lessons that I never wanted to learn. Fortunately, my teacher keeps them coming anyway. He’s always looking for ways to make me a better person and probably you too. He enrolls us all at some time or another. Thanks Life, you’ve been great.
A wise man will hear, and will increase learning: and a man of understanding shall attain unto wise counsels. Proverbs 1:5
