Teachable stories untold

We’ve heard true stories from our fathers about our rich heritage. We will continue to tell our children and not hide from the rising generation the great marvels of our God, his miracles and power that have brought us all this far.
Psalm 78:3-4 TPT

Life takes us through unusual and exciting times where sometimes we don’t want the experience to end, and other times all we want is an end in sight. The one thing life offers us, irrespective of the kind of experience, are life lessons. These lessons may be caught right in the middle of the situation or, most times, in hindsight. It is these teachable moments that I want to highlight. I believe we can look on our lives into problems we thought we couldn’t go through and times we felt we didn’t know how to survive and be grateful for those teachable moments.

Our life has been full of different seasons and phases where life was one mountain after the other. It felt like that was all that there is to it in those seasons, but then here we are a few years down the line; we are still thriving and moving forward. I have come to appreciate that most people, myself included, ignore the lessons that the different phases of life offer us. Adversity leaves us with two choices: giving up or pushing through. Since you are still here and reading this, you are an overcomer and a life teacher with a story. Overcoming adversity births a resilient spirit in us. Recovery from any form of setback positions you in a place of victory and success. You become a teacher in that field because you have walked in that path. Indeed teachers are born out of adversity. They must walk through what they want to pass on. Teachers must spend time doing practice runs on their material before delivering it to their students.

For our present troubles are small and won’t last very long. Yet they produce for us a glory that vastly outweighs them and will last forever! 2 Corinthians 4:17 NLT

Understandably, while you are in the thicket of any situation, it is pretty hard to focus on the lessons from that situation. Take a moment, look back on your life, and pick out the different lessons each season has taught you. All these lessons have now made you a life teacher. You, my dear reader, are a teacher who has been born out of adversity. You did not receive your degree from a university or college. Life gave you a teacher’s degree to help the beautiful people God has placed around you. You have been awarded a certificate as a teacher because everything you have gone through has taught you something. Now, whatever you have learned has to be passed on to others.

COVID-19 has shown us that every parent has the potential to be a teacher. Irrespective of how well we will perform, we all can impart knowledge. Today I am here to remind you of the lessons that you have culled over the years that needs to be imparted to the lives around you. We have been given wisdom and knowledge from our past experiences; the result is us thriving and doing well in our current season. Be more intentional about picking up on all these little nuggets of lessons and, as teachers always do, transfer that knowledge. Pass on what you have received to the people around you and at every opportunity presented to you. Don’t hold back on the wisdom you have attained over the years.

The Bible has been intentional in encouraging us in so many places to tell our story, to pass it on from generation to generation. Somebody needs to hear about what you went through so that they can walk through theirs. Somebody around you is in a situation you have walked and survived through, and knowing that you have journeyed in their season will yield blessings unthinkable. That’s what the Bible has been to us. Reading about all that the Bible people went through guides our life journey. Every bible story is full of wisdom and knowledge. When you read the Bible with a heart opened to receive wisdom, you will encounter countless wisdom nuggets. It is interesting to know that Judah was blessed with about twenty-one kings recorded in 2 Chronicles after David and Solomon’s reign. Still, the astonishing thing is that only five kings (Abijah, Jehoshaphat, Jotham, Hezekiah and Josiah) followed God. It makes me wonder what went wrong with the rest of the fifteen kings. I will attest that they missed the memo of God’s goodness and faithfulness from their predecessors.

If life has ever thrown a curveball at you, take a moment and reflect on what that experience was like and think about the lessons you received. I don’t believe we go through all these to gain wisdom for ourselves. Our whole life purpose has been created and designed for everyone else. WE are because OTHERS are! Life is a circle and a process that gives and takes, sows, and reaps. Life hasn’t got a backstop, and so nothing ends with us. Even if we choose to do nothing, someone else will take over and continue the journey. So why don’t you make an impact with what you have been blessed with? Why don’t you choose to be a blessing with your life by retelling your life story? When you see someone going through something you have previously experienced, oh no, never hold back; reach out and tell your story. You don’t have to have had it all figured out before you share your life; you can do that just as you are. Every day has different life lessons and teachable moments for us and the people in our lives. Be intentional in your relationships and gatherings to make room for your voice to be heard.

And they have defeated him by the blood of the Lamb and by their testimony. And they did not love their lives so much that they were afraid to die. Revelation 12:11 NKJV

Your life is a testimony. In every situation, miracles are happening all around you, and so pick up on them and let them shape how you see your life and the life of people around you. You are a walking miracle! As someone once said, “Every time you wake up, the devil says “oh no“, because of what you are carrying!” Today you are being encouraged to pass the torch on, pass it on to other people, children, families, friends, colleagues. Let others benefit from your life experiences. Let’s share our lives; let’s ease the burdens on others. Show your scars and the stories behind them, and let us set this world ablaze with hope and love.

We were recently reminded of an experience we had a few years back when I was ready for my master’s degree. We used to talk about it when it happened, but as you will imagine, life happens, and we forget about these experiences. So, when I finally started considering pursuing my master’s degree, God promised me that I would have it fully funded. This seemed totally impossible, having witnessed my husband go through his master’s degree on a student loan. It was also the norm for most of the people around me. Nevertheless, we received this word from God, so we sought a fully-funded master’s degree. As with everything, there was no easy, clear-cut way about making this happen. Still, God, in His infinite way, opened that door in a university that offered the course I really wanted. I also had the support of a course supervisor who had no idea he was a total angel. I got a full scholarship that covered my tuition, accommodation, and even living expenses. This could only have been God. The Great Jehovah Jireh came down in His full might and power with all His heavenly resources and made this possible for my family.

This experience changed my whole outlook of my master’s degree; it gave me an immense faith in God, who went to every extent to make me excel. I saw His hand move mightily throughout my time in Swansea. I have countless stories that will take a whole book to write. I know that the wisdom we have gained from some of these experiences guides us now. It makes me wonder, what are the other lessons I haven’t been intentional about it. It’s not enough to tell a beautiful story if there are no lessons to be learned. Dig out the jewels from your stories and let this influence your life. Look at the significant ways God has come through for you and your family; decide to share these nuggets with the world around you.

Prayer

Thank you, God, for your word. I pray that you will create opportunities to share my story with others to be encouraged and strengthened to walk in theirs. Let my eyes be opened to the needs around me and the people you have placed in my life. Open my heart, so I will share my story to bless them and encourage them. Thank You, Lord, in Jesus name, Amen!

May you be filled with the Fullness of God and the Power of His Love!