Lessons Learned

God has been teaching me a whole lot the last 5 months and I feel like it’s time to share some of those lessons.

1. He wants me to talk to Him about everything and He wants to speak to me as well; it’s not just a one-sided conversation. Our Heavenly Father wants to have a personal relationship with each of us. Sometimes I have to continue to press in, even when I don’t think I hear Him.
2. At some point in my life, I’ve allowed lies, people and circumstances to convince me that my voice doesn’t matter; that it would be better to be silent because “I’ll just make things worse,” “no one will take me seriously,” I don’t have anything worth saying,” etc. However, the truth is that God has given me a voice that is powerful in His Kingdom and He is wanting me to use it! Silence is also chasing after my voice because the enemy knows how dangerous it is for him when a child of God finds their place and identity in God alone.
3. I have spiritual gifts that are no less important than the others in the Kingdom of God. And I’m learning about what my gifts are and how to use them.
4. It’s healthy to actually feel what I’m feeling and to sit in that emotion with God. If I feel frustrated but then push it away or check out by distracting myself with something; often times, it delays the explosion and it makes things 100x more complicated. It’s okay to feel what I feel. My emotions are responses to something based on how I was created or by something in my story and I don’t have to let anyone tell me that those feelings are wrong or invalid. Give it to God, allow Him to heal and to teach.
5. Wisdom is something I prayed for when I was a little girl; I wanted to have the wisdom of Solomon!! Well, it turns out, God heard my 8-year-old heart….I’m NOT Solomon by any means; but I’m learning what it means to step into walking with wisdom.
6. Being teachable is so important in life. If you don’t think you have any areas for growth or change; that’s a very dangerous place to be and can lead to a destructive level of self-importance. Even Jesus allowed Himself to be taught by others!
7. Confrontation is NOT always a bad thing when done correctly and with love…and is very useful for conflict resolution—which is also not a bad thing. Walking through conflict allows people to avoid gossip, unnecessary tension, and arguing. It’s very healthy for the body of Christ to talk through issues—before they become blown way out of proportion.
8. I’ve always loved worship. I’ve encountered the Father in the most powerful ways during worship sessions. I’m learning more about how and why the best and most intimate way for me to draw near to Him is through singing worship songs and spoken word or abstract poetry.
9. I’m learning how to truly Sabbath and how “a day of rest” looks different for every person; some people find cleaning the house or going out to find WiFi restful. I find that listening to music, reading, singing, being in nature (the BEACH especially!!), organizing (sometimes), are restful things for me. I’m learning how important it is for Sabbath to be a priority.
10. The only One who’s opinion of me truly matters and makes a difference is the One who created me. Yes, I need to make sure I’m not acting a fool and that I’m showing people the love of Jesus; but when following Him with my whole being, those other things occur naturally.
11. Speaking truth in love is very, very important. I have, in the past, been so afraid of hurting people that I spoke with love but sugarcoated the truth or just kept my mouth shut. I’ve discovered by doing that, I’m actually being deceitful and that ends up hurting people more in the end. 

Trust me, the process of learning most of these lessons has not been easy but I’m so thankful that the Lord is faithful and loving—especially in the valleys.