Life is a succession of moments, to live in each one is to succeed- by Corita Kent
Learning From The Experience – By LC DeVine
Life gifts us with all kinds of experiences. Some make us feel happy, such as when we were kids and learned to ride our bikes. Those happy and proud feelings only came after the frustration and nervousness of falling off the bike many times. It took determination to learn to hold the handlebars and direct it where you wanted to go. It took determination to learn how to manage the curves. How to bravely learn to stop with the pedals. And follow our instinct of when to use our feet to keep from falling. The great thing is, once you’ve got it, YOU GOT IT! And that “got it” stays with you for a lifetime. We do not have to relearn how to ride a bike because we learned through the experience.
Life also teaches us through negative experiences. I remember such an experience as a very young child that has prevented me from smoking all my life. I must have been about 5 or 6 years old. My sister Brenda, who was only a year older than I, had us go behind our house to smoke. I thought we were going to smoke a cigarette. But, it turned out that Brenda wanted to experiment with a brown paper bag. I did not know any better and wanted to do what my big sister was doing. My sister tore a small square-shaped piece from the bag, rolled it up, took a match, and lit it. She blew the fire out, put it to her lips, and puffed. She then passed it to me. As soon as I put it to my lips, the red burning edges had traveled to the ends and burned my lip. I recall it was painful. I have a scar on my bottom lip, as a daily reminder of that experience. Up until this day, I have never tried to smoke another cigarette or anything.
This experience had one effect on me and another on her. I learned to be very cautious with what I do. My sister seemed to have thrown caution to the wind and struggled with many addictions throughout her life. Up until the day they found her lifeless body hidden among trash in an alley. I cannot say with 100% certainty that our shared experience was the pivotal moment that turned us in the direction we went. I can say that for me, the experience has left an indelible impression about smoking and influenced my opinion about all drugs. Learning through experience.
All experiences are not as dramatic as those. Some are simple, or minor, or situations that cost you money. The other day, Akili went to a car dealership for a repair. He found out the warranty he was paying for was not accepted there. In his haste to leave, he bumped his truck into a pole. You can imagine a few choice words he said to himself. This negative experience brought about a few interesting situations. It forced him to get a needed repair on the truck. It changed a situation where others depended on him for transportation to work. It showed him how God’s power is moving in his life. Learning through experience.
Life gifts us experiences every day. I believe your attitude affects how you experience the EXPERIENCES. Each experience allows you the opportunity to grow. To become stronger, wiser, and a better person.