Hard Lessons Part 1

The Hardest Lessons I have had to Learn: Sit Down, Shut-Up, Hold On, and Follow

Sit Down: the value of being present

Ecclesiastes 4:9-12
9 Two are better than one,
       because they have a good return for their work:
 10 If one falls down,
       his friend can help him up.
       But pity the man who falls
       and has no one to help him up!
 11 Also, if two lie down together, they will keep warm.
       But how can one keep warm alone?
 12 Though one may be overpowered,
       two can defend themselves.
       A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.

People sometimes gives me a hard time for being ADD. That is one thing that I have had to keep in check. I have often found myself ready to leave and life asks me where I am going. My point and my bottom line is that there is nothing more rewarding and fulfilling than being present with where you are.

I am sure we can all think back to a point in our lives where things just were not going well. Now think about who was there with you… that person understood the value of being present. They sat down with you. The people that you sit with because your love for God and them is so much greater than your love for anything else will always remember the difference you made.

Shut-Up: the value of listening and not talking

James 1:19-20
 19My dear brothers, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, 20for man's anger does not bring about the righteous life that God desires.

Being quiet is not one of my strong suits unless I am at a party where I do not know very many people or in the doctor’s office. My mouth gets my behind in more trouble than anything else does. I just always think that I have something brilliant to say that cannot be kept in. The problem is that brilliant thing usually is not worth saying.

In times of anger, I have been known to blurt out many hurtful things. Word darts that could take anyone down were often aimed straight at the hearts of loved ones. Right before Thanksgiving, I was challenged not to talk when I was upset or angry with any member of my family. I was also challenged to really listen to what they were saying out of their own anger. Let me tell you that Thanksgiving weekend was a difficult and eye opening event in my world.

Hearing the words that were actually being spoken, instead of thinking of a response, was crazy. I have heard the phrase that broken people do broken things often, but this experiment proves that. My desired responses proved that I too am broken, but keeping my mouth shut and telling God how I felt made a world of difference.

I cannot tell you how big of a difference there is in communication when I listen completely to what the person is saying, and their body language. Then wait to for a response that is appropriate to what they are saying and what their body language is conveying. Shutting up is not always easy but it is better than shutting down our spiritual and operating in the natural. Naturally, we speak, and get angry but in the spirit, we can listen and stay calm.

Hold On: the value of staying even when it is hard

1 Timothy say, "Fight the good fight of faith." I do not know when a fight is ever easy.

Psychologists say that we all have a fight or flight response to adversity. Well, I respond by flight. I used to flee whenever things got hard or uncomfortable. I cannot tell you how many times I have wanted to run away from the process and the pain. But staying when it is hard accomplishes way more than running.

Tomorrow one last hard lesson: Follow