Learning in Life

In a couple days it will be the first day of spring! Yay! Though here in Missouri, you'd not know it from the weather. We have been teased with a few days of warmth here and there like Saturday with temps around 60 but then lows in the 20s overnight and rain, sleet, freezing rain, and snow on Sunday. Only about an inch or two but not much warming today so it is sticking around. The weather man promises warmer temps beginning tomorrow through the end of the week. Next week is warmer but below normal they predict.

Spring always makes me think of new beginnings and plants and trees greening up and flowering. Many people think of new beginnings at the start of the new year and I do too ... some; but spring hits me harder with it. Easter is approaching and of course that makes me think of the resurrection of Jesus and the new life promised to everyone who believes and puts their faith in the work He did on the cross.

Thinking about new beginnings makes me contemplate things I've learned. The lessons I've learned over my lifetime. Really, this blog is about that I reckon. The lessons in my dash so to speak. I have been observing and noticing people as I am out and about just living and doing in my daily life. There are some days I would love some do overs and most assuredly I'd love to have the energy and less hurting and body aches, sagging, wrinkles and gray hairs like I had in my younger days. However, I'm not sure I'd give that in return for the wisdom and knowledge I've gained.

It is funny how when you are a teenager and even young adult in your 20s how you think you are quite something. You do things and say things and act in ways that are so immature and harmful to yourself and especially others. I recently watched a group of teen girls walking across two parking lots and then on down the sidewalk laughing, rolling their eyes, swaying their hips and prancing as though they had the world by the tail and were in complete control. I smiled to myself and thought, "you know absolutely nothing yet." I could hear them talking about "Geeks" and "Skanks" and how wonderful one of their boyfriend's is. You can't blame them for their attitude really. They are just young and have much to learn still. They don't know that life is waiting to teach and mold them in ways they never could imagine as of yet. They don't realize that they are not all they think they are and that life is not fantasy land. Marriage, parenthood, college, careers, energy, health, family are real life and never turn out completely the way you think. God often has other plans.

I'd love to take back all the mean things I did and said to others over my lifetime but it would take a whole second lifetime to do so. Young people are more apt to live selfishly and go with the flow of their peers rather than stand up for doing right. Unfortunately, this doesn't always fall to just teens and young adults. Some people are 40 before they learn to stop living for self only and some never learn. I am fully aware that kids today learn hard life lessons at younger and younger ages because parents have stopped parenting correctly, but for the most part their life is a daily drama. (Especially the girls - this knowledge was well learned after working with teen youth groups for 4 years) They don't know that the $400 dress for a school dance is not the be all end all in life or that not getting a new hair cut or latest in-style shoes is not as important as paying the electric bill. Parents CAN teach and help them to understand in an appropriate way. Many kids whose parents are in full time ministry are forced to be taught these lessons. Not all of them must learn it but many do.

There are some people who seem to have a natural instinct of compassion to others even as a toddler but the average person I think learns that much later in life. It comes from being humbled through life's events and from just plain old maturing as we grow older. It comes from realizing that self isn't quite as important as we once thought. The old acronym of JOY will always apply.  Jesus first, others second and yourself last is the way in life that brings the most happiness and joy.

I'm not sure that this post was anything more than me just rambling but I have had these ideas and thoughts rolling through my mind for almost a week and decided I needed to put them on here. I hope it made some sense to those who read it ... though I know that I don't have many readers maybe it will be a help to someone.