Lessons Learned

"The road of life twists and turns and no two directions are ever the same. Yet our lessons come from the journey, not the destination."

                                                                       ~Don Williams, Jr.

As a teacher, I teach my students in a wide variety of ways in order to reach out to their specific way of learning. I use modeling, hands-on, projects, one-on-one teaching/conferencing, small strategy group teaching, inquiry, and the list goes on. Sometimes my teaching is very straight and to the point; however sometimes, I want my students to use his/her own discovery to learn a concept.

As we continue life, we never stop learning. When we embark on our journey of life, many lessons are presented. It is our choice to choose to learn or not. Sometimes the road is beautiful, smooth, and easy to navigate, while other times that road is rough and bumpy, narrow, and difficult to see what is coming ahead.

The road can take us through steep mountains, where it seems as we are on top of the world and can accomplish anything, while other roads take us through valleys. These valleys can seem almost overwhelming at times; as you will never come up out of them. Sometimes these valleys are surrounded by different terrains: dry and dead, like the desert, or maybe plush greenery surrounded by flowing rivers and streams.

Many questions are before us: Where are we going? What obstacles or detours will arise? Will there be a short cut? What happens if we get lost along the way? Should we use our GPS or map? The list goes on. I believe this road I have have been traveling for the last year and a half has included all of the above, with many of those questions and more.

I have used this spring and summer to reflect over my life and the last year or so, with the many trials, disappointments, struggles, etc. that have come along my travels. While in the middle of these trials, it has seemed as though the valley was a dry one, with no life in sight.

I realized through these times, and they still come, God gives us many promises. One that stands out strong to me is:

"The Lord will always lead you. He will satisfy your needs in dry lands and give strength to your bones. You will be like a garden that has much water, like a spring that never runs dry." ~Isaiah 58:11

One of the biggest lessons learned is that Lisa is NOT in control of any situation--GOD IS IN CONTROL! He has allowed these trials for a purpose of teaching and molding me into that person He wants me to be. I think this is one of the hardest lessons learned, and He is continually allowing me to go through things to remind me, He is in the driver's seat. You see, I do need a map or a GPS, that is God. If I don't trust in Him completely for every aspect of my life, I'll end up in a place where I don't know where to go or how I got there.

This lesson seems so simple, but yet I seem to complicate it all the time with my strong independence! I can almost hear myself, "I can do it! Don't tell me I can't! Just leave me alone, I'll get it done!"

He tells us in Proverbs 3:5-6: "Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him and He will make your paths straight." It's that simple, yet we try to tackle situations on our own, and find ourselves in the twists and turns of life and wondering why we are off course.

Another lesson learned is to rest! Matthew 11:28 says, "Come to me, all of you who are tired and have heavy loads, and I will give you rest." I'm used to a fast paced life, full of busy schedules and deadlines, yet, He says to rest! I have learned it is ok to let the laundry or dishes sit for awhile. It is ok to take a nap. It is ok to sit and enjoy the creation He has given to us. I have found myself taking time to enjoy the simple things in life He has given me. This summer I have taken in the beautiful sunsets He has painted for me. I have enjoyed watching the flowers bloom, the rain fall, His people interact with one another (people watching is quite fun!), the waves of the ocean roll in, and so much more. We forget to take the time to just rest!

I must of have been a difficult student, because He had so many things to teach me. I have also learned to prioritize! God is first and foremost in my life, over and above everything! I must take time to study His word and converse with Him. Next, He has blessed me with a family. This family needs me to take care of them, fellowship with them, laugh and cry with them. I cannot put them on the back burner! Next, God has a calling on my life. You see, I am a missionary. He has given me a mission to reach out to children in the Van Buren area. I do this by teaching them to the best of my ability, not only math, science, social studies, reading and writing, but how to have manners, how to love, how to respect, how to have joy, etc. He has also called me to use my talents to worship. He has blessed our church with an amazing praise team, and He has given us talents to sing and play instruments and more importantly to teach and lead our congregation into corporate and individual worship!

As He continues to teach me lessons, I will share more. I felt that these were some of the most important lessons I have learned while faced with many detours in my life travels in this last year.

So where do we go from here? Where will our life's journey take us? God knows the plan for our lives, we must allow Him to be our guide. Let Him have complete control. I can truly say that I'm not scared of what lies ahead. Not anymore. I'm ready to face the detours, curves, the rough spots, whatever, as long as He is guiding my life!

Father, thank you for being my guide. I'm sorry for the times that I try to tackle life on my own, because I can't do it! Thank you for your promises that you will guide my paths, that you will give me strength, and you have a plan to prosper my life! Whatever comes my way, I know that I can hit it head on with you in my driver's seat. Thank you for allowing me to go through the things that I have endured this last year, because I have learned so much! Keep teaching and molding me into what you would have me to be! ~Amen