Learn Everywhere

There are opportunities to learn even in the not so obvious places.

I was on the streets of Instagram on this lovely afternoon when I stumbled on a friend's story that captured my attention. Not only did it capture it, but it ran circles over my mind all night as I wrestled with it. You know how something looks like it's saying two things simultaneously; it looks and sounds true, but there is this nagging feeling you have that "Kai! This can't be all"? Have you experienced this before?

Here is the post below:

Before we get sidetracked, we are not talking today about singles conferences, love or relationships. I want to share a different point of view on learning, which begins with a heart posture or a disposition.

Story Time.

There was a particular Sunday when I was in church with my mum, and the preacher that day began his sermon so enthusiastically that I was excited to hear what he had to say. As he began and stretched, I started to see that what he said was not coherent and full of 'holes'. I was getting so worked up about this that I missed the rest of the sermon. Each time he said something I believed was outrageous, I would look at my mom and see her writing. At some point, I moved between doubting if I knew it was wrong or if my mom knew it was wrong.

We barely got into the car when I began ranting about the sermon while my mom listened quietly. The quieter she was, the more annoyed I became, and the volume of my rant increased, lol. You can use your imagination to fill in the blanks here.

Then I piped down a little and asked her what she was writing, and she spoke words that have never left me. She said, "We are constantly given an opportunity to learn something in every situation. It's either what to do or not to do, areas to deepen research and study, but most importantly if you are still enough, the Holy Spirit can teach you in that moment. I was writing the things the Lord was speaking to me about from that sermon." Needless to say, I was quiet the rest of the ride home. I learned an invaluable lesson: If your heart is in the right place, you can learn something.

Back to the picture that sparked this conversation. Although what the writer said has merit—bringing someone with experience who can speak to a situation is valuable—it does not mean it is the only means of learning. If your disposition is not to regard the setting as valuable because you don't consider the line-up to have sufficient personal experience, you disqualify yourself from valuable lessons you may have gained otherwise.

I remember being at the university and seeing some ladies experience things that I knew were wrong and heartbreaking in their relationships. I would try to talk to them sometimes and would immediately be rejected before the words finished forming. What was their reason? I was not in a relationship, so I would not understand. I quickly learned to keep my opinions to myself and hope they learned from someone more experienced or the school of hard knocks.

Life is a journey filled with opportunities to learn. Knowledge fuels growth, which puts us on a good pace and path for our journey.

Do not be quick to dismiss opportunities to learn. Embrace learning, take what is valuable, and let go of the rest.

Remember I am always rooting for you,

Love,

Eva.