Lessons Learned

Given the time that I've been down here so far, I don't think that I can even count for you how many things I've learned. There's a ton of variety, but much of these things have come from that thing of perspective again. Big city, small town - whatever you have it - though it may have played into some of these things that I've learned, not all has to do with that.

Having had to basically fend for myself, managing budgets, cooking meals, living alone, and all that sort of stuff has probably meant more to me than most other experiences so far. It's one thing to move out and live in a dorm, but it's a totally different thing when you're "working" rather than going to school. I think I will touch on two of these things that I've learned.

The first thing that I've noticed a lot of is that while ministry definitely has it's benefits of really feeling like you can accomplish something, it's more so about the climb and the process rather than the overall progress. In bible school, they don't really teach you to wash dishes, vacuum, fix things, etc., but all of these things are a reality of everyday life in the church. It's obviously not so pretty, but it's necessary. So what's really important is that we really need to take care of the gifts that God has given us, whether spiritually or materialistically, and he will reward us tenfold. I've spent a lot of time complaining and whining (to myself, of course) about how this isn't working properly, or why the dishes aren't done, and all that kind of stuff, that it eventually helped me realize that these small things, and knowing that they build character, will go a long ways to helping me mature and grow as an individual. Yeah, I'd much rather spend my time playing League, watching YouTube, or whatever, but the shift in priorities has really allowed me to gain a better appreciation for many other things. I've always been told by other pastors that this is what pastoral life is really like, but as is for all other things in life, you don't really get to the true understanding until you experience it for yourself - such is the way of the post-modern world.

Since about this past Thursday or Friday, I haven't been feeling that great. My body's been aching for a few days and my sinus'/throat area feels way too congested from allergies or other things. So while I'm trying to take care of myself, such as drinking more water, sleeping earlier, eating healthier, I took the time to think about what being sick does to someone. I don't know one person that actually enjoys being sick, even if to skip school, but we're always wondering why we get sick and blah blah blah, especially when we find out that a sickness may have taken someone's life. For me, I thought back to the few days before I got sick. And because I'm that kind of person to over-analyze every little detail, I went to recalling the food that I ate, the times I'd gone to bed, etc. Even though I don't think any of those factored in very much as to why I'm feeling ill, it kind of gave me the opportunity to recalibrate myself. I've reviewed the things I've been eating, making adjustments and what not, made sure I've gone to bed earlier, etc. So in that way, it's kind of reset my mind and body to what I need to do to take care of myself. Some people go on those detox diets to clear out their system, and it's kind of like that. Many of us take good health for granted, so maybe that's why I get sick every once in a while. It helps with realigning us to a "better" lifestyle, improving how we treat ourselves, or whatever itt may be.

So yeah, that's about all I got. It'd be nice if we could consitently be able to have the perspectives that we do, but I guess that's why we go through life: to experience the ups and downs.