Every day...I learn something new. It is interesting to me as an adult because as a child, I thought once you reached a certain age, you'd have it all figured out. We go to school. We then move on to middle and high school. From there we choose college or technical college. Some choose to enter the work force right away. We start our job and learn our trade. We work their long enough to figure out what we are doing and we do it. We have it ALL figured out. (Not 'sa' much)
From reading this blog, you know my path is a little different from the one I described. I went to school. I went to college. I met Coach...had Big...quit college...worked until Middle was born...and then quit working. Because we needed two incomes to make ends meet, I began an in home daycare. I loved taking care of my own kids so it was natural to add a few more. (35 over ten years to be exact). I loved what I did and loved the children with my whole heart. Like many peoples' experiences in life, as things changed, my love for taking care of little ones changed as well. Don't get me wrong...I still loved them very much. My desire was to grow with them instead of watching them grow and passing them on.
I decided to continue learning and go back to school. I have learned so much in the past two years. I can't begin to tell you how different I've become. Don't get me wrong...I'm still me. I just know more than I did yesterday. While doing daycare, I let myself get in the habit of the same ol' thing. I had the same routine and it worked. I think part of my problem with needing a change was that I stopped learning. SIDE NOTE: I know this was God's path for me, so please don't see this as me looking back and wishing things were different. This is just a reflection on what I've learned from the experience. When I went back to school, I discovered things about myself that I had completely forgotten. I learned new information. I learned how to process and organize information. I learned how to balance different aspects of my life and remembered how to make choices.
Through this experience, I have seen how we never stop learning.
On Facebook this morning and over the past few months, I've seen people post their opinions about things. Many things. Some are very controversial issues. Some are smaller things. There are moments when I get frustrated in reading things that are against what I believe. There are also moments when something is said that really grabs me and makes me think. It makes me think differently than I thought before. It gives me the opportunity to learn something I didn't know or realize.
Opinions are based on experiences. I feel the way I do about things because I've been through this. Or someone I know and love has been through this. People are very passionate about their opinions because they've been hurt by something...or have had success with something. It is their opinion based on their beliefs and experiences. That doesn't make them wrong. It simply makes their opinion different than mine.
When someone posts about not believing in God, it doesn't make me angry. It makes me sad. It makes me feel like I should be able to help them learn about Christian love. It makes me want to say something that changes their opinion or in the very least, helps them learn about something I love so much.
But...what I have learned...is that actions speak louder than words.
You can't always tell someone about the love of God.
You can show it.
You can't always tell someone that they are forgiven.
You can simply forgive them.
You can't always change the mind of someone. Their opinions are based on their experiences.
You can pray for them and love them no matter what. Because that's what our experiences have taught us to do. Beyond that...you can learn what makes them feel the way they do.
We are to never stop learning. The more we know about something, the better we are about making a choice based on that information.
When I say never stop learning...I mean never. Always keep an open mind and be willing to learn new things about what you think you know. As human beings, we can never know it all. We are designed that way. We can continue to educate ourselves and learn, but we can never have all the knowledge. That is the beauty of it. No matter how hard we try to figure it all out, we will always be given the chance to learn more. Take that ability and apply it to those in your life who need grace. Get to know more. Allow yourself to always be taking in information to help us better understand.
Have a blessed day!
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