“Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness, and let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.”   James: 2-4

Experience has taught me a thing or two, and some of what I experienced would take more than a little while to realize.  Some I learned face to face and some along the way.  The thing is I didn’t learn anything the same way twice.  Each experience had its own unique design and purpose.  Some were lessons taught over and over until I realized their importance, and some were to give me directions for a better life.

The experience reminds me of deja vu; a feeling something has happened before.  Sometimes feeling as if it happened in another life and time.  Personally, I think deja vu is God’s way of bringing a lesson back into our consciousness; the ones we did not comprehend the 1st time.  Like a joke I have been hearing for the most part of 20 years that was not funny, now has become funny.  In Truth I finally got it.

Power is something most of us desire, but what good is it if we don’t know how to use it?  “Power is holding someone else fears in your hand and showing it to them.”   I can’t tell you how many times I have watched the nicest person on the job get promoted only to become everyone’s worst nightmare.  The Precious, (power) can change some of us for the worst, causing us to become overly enthused.  Instead of trying to improve a situation we seek revenge or personal gratification.  With the power, we can invoke pain or joy on those that surround us.  Choose to be a leader, not a dictator.  We “reap what we sow,”  payback is a… And all could be lost because of control issues coupled with the lack of leadership capabilities.

At times I didn’t have the ability to listen to others and sometimes I was not able to keep a civil tongue.  Having an attitude proclaiming “you can’t tell me anything, I already know all I need to know and who are you to try to tell me any different?”   This type of thinking tried to drag me down the educational totem pole; I had to change my way of thinking in order to learn.  “Most people do not listen with the intent to understand; they listen with the intent to reply.”   S.R. Covey   There were times when I wanted to out scream whoever was trying to over scream me.  Now most times when I can’t get a word in because of the tone of the conversation, I back off, while listening and remaining civil, this is not easy.  I now know there is such a thing as mental bulling and I am guilty as charged.  I know if I want to be heard I will have to listen.  Believe it or not there is a difference between listening and hearing.  Learning that almost took a lifetime, now I am wondering what else did I miss?

Success may be the culminating goal, but at what price?  I thought success was the salt of the earth.  To be looked up to by my peers was the goal.  Never caring how I achieved success, only that I do.  Gaining or losing success is usually won or lost by our own hands.  I thought success needed to be seen in the eyes of others for me to be truly successful.  We all have our quirks; sometimes thinking more of ourselves than we should, (self-love) and some not realizing it may be a fault.  Little did I know, my greatest achievements are when I hit rock bottom and get up.  Now I understand in part what some may see in me.

Judging a book by its cover is almost as bad as reading the ending first.  I would choose the mighty over the week, and as time passed, I realized when I needed some serious help it came from the ones I thought to be the weakest.  The ones I looked down on were the ones who came without reserves, the true Christians.  The fact is; it was me who is weak.  When I saw someone for the very first time, I was quick to state,  “I don’t like how they look, something about them ain’t right.”  Most of the time they would end up becoming one of my best friends.  “Judge not, and ye shall not be judged:”   Luke 6:37

Envying others, boosting on ourselves or looking for praise is a sure way to lose friends and what we have.  Never trust a person that envies you or you them, both wants what the other has.  It would be hard for another to covet what you have if they are not aware of you having it.  Bragging and showing off will net you more hardships than the praise is worth.  Keep it up and you might come home and find the TV gone.  Boosting about all our achievements, wasting time swelling our heads and bragging about things that are only important to us, will only gather an army of envious haters.  What Christ has for you is for you, and nothing can change that but you, the choice is ours.  

Angry at the world, including everything in or out of it, will not solve our problems.  It’s not good being a hot head or out of control.  Most times anger stems from self-guilt, being caught or found out.  If anything, this type of suffering will become overbearing, just the way Satan likes it; no time for rational thinking. Some shoot up McDonald’s instead of taking it to Christ.  Experience with the Lord will help us find our inner self and peace.  If there is a fire we can run out or we can help someone else out.  Life is only what we make it.  That little birdie or your first mind is neither or.  It’s called the Holy Spirit, placed in our hearts by God to give guidance.  If our heart is in the right place more than likely our life will be also.  I got in touch with myself by listening to my heart where the Holy Spirit lives. This practice helps me to eliminate some bad decisions that were causing me to become unhinged.  “Be not hasty in thy spirit to be angry: for anger rest in the bosom of fools.”   Ecclesiastes 7:9.            

Experience is the greatest teacher of all, next to Christ.  As we live and learn experience will teach some of us what is important and what is not.  On the practical side what good is stealing or coveting things that are not ours?  We can’t brag or show them to anyone.  For sure we won’t sneak our way into heaven because of it.  If we had everything where would we put it and what would we hope for next?  Understanding the error of our ways is what is important to grow.

Living is enough for us to gain experience and with that we build character.  Pride is a killer of all things hoped for.  Afraid to show any type of weakness is a downfall.  We need our families, friends and cohorts to survive.  Man was not made to live alone.  Proclaiming I can do all things by myself is a delusion.  We came from the womb helpless and probably will die the same way, praying someone will have us buried.  We should pick through the adventures already experienced in life, tossing out the bad and building from the good.  Learning from our failures as well as our successes may gain us the satisfaction we are seeking in life, to be happy, healthy and put a roof over our heads.

Experience has taught me a thing or two when it comes to the little things.  The ones so easily missed are the most important.  Don’t waste time or money, neither one is good; but money is meant to be spent, waste or not.  Time is irreplaceable… Don’t be at war with yourself… When there is peace in the heart most problems will heal or be resolved in time. Spend your time talking or discussing things you are sure of and… “Only take the advice from a person who has experienced the situation.”   We all have our days and have walked a thin line.  We have offended and been offended.  In order for us to move on we must become the bigger person.  Something most find so very hard to do.  Compassion is the ticket, something we rarely dispense.  “Give, and it shall be given unto you.”   Try changing the I to us and me to you.

Great moments are earned because of great opportunities and they don’t come often.  Take advantage of, you may not get another chance.  Learn what it takes thru experience be a winner; by giving more than you have and make it count.

“This is the day the Lord has made I will rejoice and be glad in it.”    AMEN

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