Lessons Learned

I’ve found myself asking many times in my life “What is my place here?” What’s my purpose? In the past year a concept dawned on me and is now beginning to brew. Every event that God allows to happen in our lives is just preparation for the next step…or the next many steps. My life these days is full of pondering. I think back on lessons I have learned through various journeys and I think ahead to what God has been planning all along and what their connection is – right now. Patience has always come easily to me because it’s never been really tested. My faith is unhindered because it started as a mustard seed generations ago, having nothing to do with me. My belief is God’s Word is simple because it’s all I’ve ever been taught. My words are honest because lying gets a bar of soap in your mouth. My prayers are heartfelt because prayers for me have been heartfelt. My joy is unending because it gets me through each day. My love is genuine because it’s never been taken for granted. So what does this mean? The security net I’ve always known through my family, friends, and church -my home- has been ripped away and what is in my heart remains. The testimony of God’s goodness causes me to never want to drift away from truth that’s planted in my history and in my heart. His faithfulness allows me to trust Him for the next step. After all, that’s what He’s been preparing me for all along, right? As I consider people God has put in my life and how our backgrounds are so different, I find my momentary place. Easily angered family members causes the idea of patience to be unheard of. First generations Christians are starting from scratch with mustard seed faith. God’s Word was never taught as applicable. Lying is a form of escape. Prayers are cries for help. Joy is misunderstood as happiness which is a wavering emotion. How can a person love if they know not what love is? Lessons I never knew I learned until I tried to understand why Christians around me aren’t on the same page in their faith – I now know that I have to live out those lessons so that they can have an example. My place is to be a Barnabas. My purpose right now is to encourage the discouraged. You cannot give what you haven’t received. This is why a discouraged person is ineffective. Acts 11:23 says “When he came and had seen the grace of God, he was glad, and encouraged them all that with purpose of heart they should continue with the Lord”. We do this because His work on the cross is our only ground for our saving faith, His Word is our only guide for life, His Spirit is our Comforter (2 Corinthians 1:3-4), and His people are our companions. We all have people in our lives who are discouraged…who are we not to encourage? “Be an example to the believers in word, in conduct, in love, in spirit, in faith, and in purity” 1 Timothy4:12b.