Lessons From 2010

1. Patience
I've had to deal with two horrible housemates, incompetant team-leaders and bossy co-educaters who make things more difficult than they need to be. Even the children have stretched my patience. And all I got to say is, my husband better be thankful to God that he's getting me after this year and not at the beginning of it.

2. I don't have to do everything
I always thought that I did. Seriously. That I needed to work and go to church and read all the classics and keep up to date with the news and spend time socialising and... and... and. I don't. If I'm not benefiting spiritually from a book, if I'm really not enjoying it, then I DON'T HAVE TO FINISH IT. I don't have to spend heaps of time socialising if I'm not feeling well. I don't even have to work unpaid overtime to make my room extra beautiful just because it would be nice. And I definitely don't have to do all these things all at once!

3. Everything is from God's hand
Even things I really, really don't like. Like horrible housemates and... the point is, especially in not-great times, God is teaching me something. And I need to learn and not complain.

4. My money belongs to God
And He wants me to spend it on people other than myself - especially the poor and the orphan. Sure, it'd be nice if I had more money for "me-things", but I haven't missed the $ that much. The only bit I really miss is not seeing my Adoption Fund grow.

5. All life is valuable
Before I would have said that it was, but I didn't really believe it. I mean, we have limited resources, so the sensible thing to do would be to adopt the non-special needs orphans. You know, the ones who will be useful in God's kingdom. This is a LIE. Two orphans especially changed my heart on this - Julia and Selah. Julia is going to live a short life, but she will be doing so with a family. Selah lived only for 55 days, and it cost a fair bit to adopt her, which wasn't "necessary" because her family could have just fostered her. Her life and death has seen many lives changed, including that of her birth mother (who accepted Christ) and countless medical students. Not bad for a "useless" person. No one is useless in God's kingdom!

6. Be always ready to give an answer
So many people have questions, and they want answers. If you aren't prepared then they won't get their answers.

7. It's all about God
It's not about me. The world does not revolve around me. It just doesn't.

8. My job is to glorify God, and I don't get to choose how I will do it
Sure, I would like to be having babies right now, but that isn't what God has chosen for me. His ways are better than mine.

9. Trust
His ways ARE better than mine, even when I don't understand them. In fact, I often won't until later. His ways are still to best though.

10. Pray specifically
When I pray specifically, I see answers! God delights to answer prayer, especially when it is in a way that means that I and others around me know that it is all Him. To God alone be the glory!


Wow! What a year!