What I Learned in ‘09

Thinking back to 2009 I learned a lot about myself and my purpose on this planet. I would give 2009 a shrug if asked “How was your year?” I feel like there was so much more that could have been accomplished if I would have put the things I learned into action. Here are 4 things I learned that will hopefully stay with me in the new decade.

1. “If it is to be it is up to me“: I was told these are the 10 most important two letter words. As arrogant as it sounds, I think it is true. I learned this year that initiative is needed in life if I am to accomplish the goals I have set. I am not saying that I am the end all, but I am suggesting that too many people are sitting around waiting for something to happen to them, instead of making it happen. This was true of my life this year. I sat back hoping things would happen to me, when all the while I should have been the one making them happen.

2. “Pass the Ball“: If you watch sports, you hear announcers say all the time, “______(Insert Name)_____ is the guy you want with the ball with 3 seconds left in the game.” I always think about the others players on the team and how they feel about this. Since everyone knows the superstar is going to get the ball, why not pass it to someone else unexpected? I have been learning this over the last 18 months. As much as I need to make sure things are happening, I do not need to be the one doing it. There are so many hidden “superstars” in churches today. You just have to pass them the ball. And that is another thing. Why is the church looking for superstars anyway? I don’t see any superstars in the Bible, only ordinary men and women who were passed the ball and did something with it. Some even were passed the ball again after doing something great and were a colossal failure. So, I learned to start passing the ball more and getting it into the hands of other people. I have realized that there are a lot of people out there who can do something with it.

3. “I ain’t saying it’s easy, but they sure don’t make it look hard“: This is a tough lesson, one that is learned through the failures of others. I am on record as saying that most religious leaders I know are deceivers. They pretend to have so many talents and skills in tune, but they actually don’t. One of the key lessons I learned was that I need to let go of all my past church experiences and begin to create my own. I don’t need to think, “Well, my last church did it this way, or that way.” Instead my thoughts should be toward, “How would I like to do it in the context of my worshipping community?” This lesson will help be create new ways to meet the spiritual needs of my community and keep me from repeating the mistakes of the past.

All in all, 2009 was a year that I am glad to put in the past. I would like to focus on a new year and new opportunities. One of those opportunities is blogging more thanks to Will Mancini. We will see if it lasts.

Tags: Thoughts