Learning always

We are all teachers from the time we take our first breath. You teach your parents that they are selfish and need to think of others, mainly you. You cry, they come. You are hungry, they feed you. Then, growth comes and you just seem to know it all...already. You are an expert...until you reach your mid to late 30’s. That’s when it happened to me. I had the realization that I was simply an idiot. It’s not easy to admit but it’s true.

I had lived my life going to high school..making good grades and excelling in academics. I went to college and loved studying. Then, grad school and another degree. I love to read and to gain academic knowledge...it thrills me, in fact. How did I go from being smart to dumb overnight? Well, having children was the beginning of that...in my 20’s.

Most people do not tell you this, but your memory simply disappears from existence for approximately 1-2 years. And, here’s another bit of wisdom...it happens with adoption too...1-2 years, down the drain. It’s God’s way of protecting you so that you can focus on your child. No need to remember other things like appointments, meetings, etc. And insignificant things like where your keys are, why the milk is in the linen closet and where’s the matching shoe....lessons learned about not sweating the small stuff.

Somewhere along the way I became the teacher of my kids...what to eat, when to eat, how to add, how to flush a toilet, etc. Then, “real” school with math, Bible, history, science and all that academic stuff. It’s tiring, and it takes its toll on me daily. There are days I want to quit, throw in the towel and submit my resignation letter to God. Totally give up!

But, God has designed our lives in such a way that we are always learning and always teaching. That learner position is actually much harder...it requires humbleness and teachability...two qualities that I admire more than almost anything else! I can ALWAYS LEARN SOMETHING FROM EACH PERSON I MEET. Sometimes I might be learning how to cherish life from a child, ways to schedule multiple children from another mom, how to teach driving from an older dad, or even how NOT to do something from certain people. Always learning.

And, that’s where I am right now. Learning how to life live with temptation after temptation, party foods and junk....how to avoid those things with planning...how to say no...proper portions...exercise...pushing myself beyond the physical limits I have established for myself....learning, learning, learning.

What else do I need to learn? I want to hear it...comments welcomed and encouraged and wanted!!!