What have I learned this year? As a teacher, I give many formative assessments. If I were to give one to myself over "Lessons learned this year," here would be my response:
JANUARY:
A lot in my life prior to depression was taken for granted... I’ve learned along this journey that you can take nothing for granted. You don’t really realize what you have until it’s gone.
Who would have thought that I would ever be so thankful for the ability to walk, or the ability to talk?
Everything we have is a gift from God. Everything. He puts things, people, circumstances, whatever in our lives to fulfill His purpose.
And He never promised that we would like everything He put in our lives.
But He did promise us that He works for our good and He has a plan for all of us.
-From There's A Reason
It's okay to cry....
Tears are a way of healing.
Tears are a release. Tears are sadness leaving the body, making room for joy.
And yesterday, a chapel message was too perfect for what I was feeling that morning. God finds ways to speak to me, as I've said before.
It's comforting to know that He has a giant tearcatcher, and he catches all of our tears, He knows our sorrows, He knows our pain.
When I wake up in the morning, after I had cried for several hours the night before, the drenched pillow or wetspot on the floor is dry.
My tears disappear. God takes them and says, "I understand. It's okay. I am here to wipe away your tears."
Tears are a release. Tears are sadness leaving the body, making room for joy.
And yesterday, a chapel message was too perfect for what I was feeling that morning. God finds ways to speak to me, as I've said before.
It's comforting to know that He has a giant tearcatcher, and he catches all of our tears, He knows our sorrows, He knows our pain.
When I wake up in the morning, after I had cried for several hours the night before, the drenched pillow or wetspot on the floor is dry.
My tears disappear. God takes them and says, "I understand. It's okay. I am here to wipe away your tears."
-From Tears
God puts people in our life to "listen" to us, but only He can "fix" our problems...
Reality is, God puts people in our lives to listen, and people to help by listening. So many people have been able to just sit down and listened while I blabbered on like a baby. And they didn't have any words, just being there to listen was enough for me.
-From Sharing and Listening
FEBRUARY:
I don't know what the future holds, but I know who holds the future...
In the mean time, my questions still haunt me. My fear of the future and the uncertainty of what lies ahead makes me tremble.
I need to begin to trust that God knows what He's doing. I need to give all of my fears and uncertainties to Him and accept that His plan is good, whether I see it or like it or not.
I need to begin to trust that God knows what He's doing. I need to give all of my fears and uncertainties to Him and accept that His plan is good, whether I see it or like it or not.
-From Fear
Love is expensive. Sometimes the cost is carrying our own cross, or the cross of another...
Everyone has their own cross(es) to bear. This is one of mine. I am doing the best I can. Nobody's job is to remove the cross or the cup from me, but to love me and help me through it, even though it may be expensive. In Matthew 16, we hear Jesus say, "Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me." (v. 24). No where there does it say bearing the cross would be easy. No where in there does it say it would be comfortable. It's a part of following Christ. It's a part of loving one another. It's our role as disciples of Christ and sharing His love.
-From Love is Expensive
When the world seems to scream, "GIVE UP!" God finds a way to whisper, "Keep going..."
I haven't been perfect throughout this, but I've always done the best I could do. And I have not lost faith in God. Though the world has walked out, and everything I encountered was screaming "GIVE UP!", God remained faithful, and hope gently whispered, "Keep going."
-From Every Day in Every Way
MARCH:
When we think we can "take things from here," we're way wrong...
In some circumstances, I've had the attitude of "Thanks God, but I can take it from here." "I don't need your help, but thanks."
And the truth is, I've only gotten myself more worked up into my milkweed. And if I hadn't turned to God, I would still be bleeding, trying to free myself.
The truth is, I can't do it on my own. I need my Savior, my God to come and free me from the milkweed that I've gotten caught in.
And the truth is, I've only gotten myself more worked up into my milkweed. And if I hadn't turned to God, I would still be bleeding, trying to free myself.
The truth is, I can't do it on my own. I need my Savior, my God to come and free me from the milkweed that I've gotten caught in.
Always pack a promise on your way out of the door in the mornings...
I think about circumstances I'm facing and problems I still have despite my recovery.
And I am going to cling to a promise and not the circumstance.
And I am going to pray that anyone else involved can do the same.
You know, this reminds me of a student leaving home for school in the mornings. Before the child leaves the door, the mother must say, "Did you remember to pack your lunch?"
And I think it would be good to leave in the mornings for me to have a sign posted on my door that says, "Did you remember to pack a promise?"
-From Circumstance or Promise?
APRIL:
It's important to keep in mind that God can be revealed through us...How is God revealed through you?
Depression, anxiety, conversion disorder, OCD, are not stopping me from letting God's works be revealed through me.
I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us.- Romans 8:18
Gods ways are better than our own ways...
The truth is, God was always there. But He has His own timing. He is NEVER late. He is never absent. He always has perfect timing.
And often, we don't think His timing is best. We don't trust that He was the one in control. We think our own schedule and our own way of doing things was far better than God's schedule.
But as I mentioned yesterday, we sometimes look back and see the good things that came from our trials and suffering.
And we realize that God was there all along. And his schedule far surpassed any schedule we could have designed or tried to design.
And often, we don't think His timing is best. We don't trust that He was the one in control. We think our own schedule and our own way of doing things was far better than God's schedule.
But as I mentioned yesterday, we sometimes look back and see the good things that came from our trials and suffering.
And we realize that God was there all along. And his schedule far surpassed any schedule we could have designed or tried to design.
-From Perfect Timing
Bad things happen. It's just a matter of what we do with them....
I guess I have that to look forward to. In the mean time, things really suck. But I'm trying to keep my eyes and my focus on the cross, as I mentioned yesterday.
I have come so far, that I am not going to let things come crashing down now. If I have survived ALL of the pain and turmoil of the last six months, I surely can overcome this. Right?
MAY:
Finishing the semester was a huge milestone for me...To anyone who has ever doubted my ability or thought I wouldn't make it, here I am to prove you wrong. And to anyone who has gotten in my way, you have not knocked me down. As I recently saw in someone else's blog: "Hurt people hurt people." And hear this, as Patricia Polacco told me in a letter, “For the life of me, I’ll never understand people that, apparently, derive some sort of pleasure from ‘putting other people down, ignoring people, or being cruel.' I believe it is THEY that are unfortunate and cannot reach any stature unless stepping on another’s throat in order to gain status.”
-From I'm A Fighter
It feels good to let love out...
I read tonight in my Morrie book, "The most important thing in life is to learn how to give out love, and to let it come in." - Morrie.
Yes. Giving out love feels great.
Lord, help me to give out as much love as I can....
I know I give out love in the songs I sing that bring a smile to people's face. I know I give out love in the very jovial laugh I've been blessed with. I know I give out love through the gift of music God's blessed me with. I know I give out love when I tell someone I'm praying for them
Yes. Giving out love feels great.
Lord, help me to give out as much love as I can....
I know I give out love in the songs I sing that bring a smile to people's face. I know I give out love in the very jovial laugh I've been blessed with. I know I give out love through the gift of music God's blessed me with. I know I give out love when I tell someone I'm praying for them
-From Love in and Out
Sometimes strong is the only thing you can be...
I never knew how strong I would have to be, or would end up being.
I still don't consider myself to be "one of the strongest people I know," but I feel I have to give myself some credit, I stayed strong through a lot.
I still don't consider myself to be "one of the strongest people I know," but I feel I have to give myself some credit, I stayed strong through a lot.
-From You Can Only Be Strong
This is a great reflection on what you've learned! So encouraging and so many great reminders in there.
ReplyDelete