Lessons Learned in 2013

This is a little late.  At first, I was considering writing a blog with New Year’s Resolutions.  It’s not that I don’t have any.  Rather, I read a blog that said if you post them on a blog it has the same effect on the brain as actually completing them somehow.  So, that’s out the window.  This will have to suffice for now I suppose.

The first lesson would have to be that Jesus is enough.  This past year was fairly traumatic all the way around for me.  I resigned from teaching.  I started down a new path for a different career.  Looking back, it was a long time coming.  Back in April, I took a leave of absence for the remainder of the school year due to severe depression.  Through it all though, Jesus has proved He is more than enough.  It’s been a good reminder this year of something I already knew.  Now I just know it on a deeper level.

The second lesson would be that sometimes depression can really get the best of you no matter what do.  Try as you might, sometimes it just won’t let you go.  Go to therapy, exercise, eat healthy, meet with friends, do everything right, and it still sometimes can take over.  That is what I experienced in the winter and spring of this past year.  Depression can be a really crippling thing.  It can sap you of all your energy.  You can sleep 14 hours a day and still end up feeling tired somehow. 

The third lesson is to do what you love as a career.  The past few years I’ve felt a tug at first that turned into an outright tornado force of a pull towards living full time overseas.  I have struggled with this decision for many years but it’s now time to go.  Every summer I go overseas I am really happy, so why wouldn’t I try that full time?  I’m sure the newness will wear off after a while as this is always inevitable.  If I’m doing something that I find value in though I think I will necessarily be better off as a result.

The fourth lesson is to trust in Jesus.  Just because you feel like you finally found your calling doesn’t mean there won’t be any difficulties left in your life.  As a matter of fact, you may face even more difficulty than before.  The hardest thing is the waiting.  When you know what you’re supposed to be doing and you still have to wait for everything to fall into place can just be infuriating sometimes.

The fifth lesson is it’s not all about me.  When we planted the Creek Church 5 years ago that is something we always told each other when we’d get discouraged and couldn’t see a light at the end of the tunnel.  I didn’t get it at all during that time.  Slowly but surely I’m starting to understand, in spite of my stubborn heart.

The sixth lesson is that love isn’t a bad thing.  I didn’t really date for a decade and now I’m in a serious relationship with a beautiful woman named Steffani.  I couldn’t be happier and am really glad I opened my heart up to her finally on a romantic basis.  We tried to date before but I didn’t really allow her in, if that makes sense to you.

The seventh lesson is follow through.  This is so difficult for me for some reason.  I start a ton of different ideas and projects and almost never follow through it seems like.  I have a feeling this will be an ongoing struggle the rest of my life.  Hopefully Steffani will help me with this as we do life together.

The eighth lesson is to risk it all.  Jesus doesn’t call us to be comfortable.  We often lose sight of this in the states.  He calls us to get out of our comfort zone, whether that’s helping a local ministry feed the homeless or going halfway across the world to do something you believe in.

The ninth lesson is to not shy away from confrontation.  Confrontation is healthy and needed.  I sure do hate it though, I can tell you that.  I run away from it more often than not, but that almost never works.  It either produces bitterness in me or leads to misunderstanding for the other party.

The tenth lesson is that family and friends are treasures and should be treated as such.  When you’re at your lowest, that shows you who is a true friend.  I consider my friends down here and from my past to be more like my family.  They always listen, always encourage, always rebuke.  I don’t know where I’d be without them.

Well, ten seems like a natural stopping point.  I was going to stop at seven but decided I had more in the tanks.  Maybe I’ll be able to sleep now, seeing as how it’s 11 after 4, yuck.  Side note, 4/11 is my birthday, so that seems like a lucky stopping point, right?