Thursday, May 17, 2012

Learning Life Lessons

I've looked high and low for a quote I remember reading that really stuck with me.  I wish I could find it, so if you know what I'm talking about, please tell me!  The quote was something like this:

If you wake up in the morning, you haven't learned all the life lessons God wants you to learn before He calls you to Heaven.

Sometimes I look at life like a child and God as my earthly Father.  Sometimes I have to learn lessons the hard way, just like a child.  It's easier to send my child to her room when she's misbehaving and as reluctant as she is to go, she has to go because I told her to.  It's not like God can send me to my room but God can send me lessons I need to learn. I just have to be willing to pay attention or the lesson would get lost.
"That which does not kill us makes us stronger."
Friedrich Nietzsche
morguefile.com/hondo

We've all heard stories about people winning the lottery and losing it all.  Someone who just bought their dream car only to total it the next day.  Falling for an expensive scam.  Buying a house and lightning strikes it a month later.  Yeah, these are really hard lessons to learn.  Some really big ones.

There are also small lessons such as hitting every red light on the way to work when you're really, really late.  Having to park in the farthest parking space at the grocery store.  Getting stuck at a very long checkout line. Even missing girls night because a meeting ran too long.  These lessons stink and can often be misunderstood as a "bad day" or "bad luck", when in fact, it could've possibly been a blessing.

Recently, I wrote about our family vacation to Disney World and what it was like for me when we came back.  Normally, I feel like I need a vacation from my vacation but I didn't feel that way this time.  I came back feeling so refreshed and ready to conquer the world.  The next day, my husband was called into work and my nightmarish week immediately began.  It was everything from last minute change of plans, phone ringing, kids asking for money, sudden realization that we were dirt poor after our trip, bills due, deadlines due, downpour of rain on the way to pick up the dog (also running very late too) and each day never ended.  I was up all night, couldn't sleep, had to get up early and the next day continued on.  However, I was proud of myself for keeping a positive outlook on everything, but at rock bottom of my week, I realized I couldn't take it anymore.  I looked at my life and realized I didn't like what was happening.  I had taken on way too much and realized that if I had continued this way (before our vacation), I probably would've eventually snapped.  I needed that vacation to chill out and I didn't even know it. 


So I prayed....

I prayed and honestly tried to give my worries to God.  I honestly tried to not worry about our bills, everyone else's problems and all the stupid little issues my own body was giving me but I couldn't do it.  When I realized that it was time to simplify my life, I had a hard time choosing what to let go.  Then I felt like God was sending me a life lesson.  I started taking on things that weren't really mine to have in the first place and perhaps this was God's way of forcing me to "go to my room" and think about what I've done to myself.  Perhaps it's not for me to worry so much about contributing to our family financially (such as my yahoo articles) and that my ultimate job is to take care of my family.  Nothing more, nothing less.  When I realized what my life lesson was, a huge load was taken off my chest.  I was able to refocus my priorities and man, do I feel better!
morguefile.com/cohdra

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