Looking for Lessons

I remember very vividly a lesson God taught me.

A large man with a long scruffy beard and a loud, demanding voice came into my church office one day. His hair was uncombed, his shirt smelled of heavy sweat, and his dirty shoes left tracks across my carpet. I was put off by Ron’s arrogant swagger and his order to fix his wife or I’d be sorry. But as we talked, a tear trickled down his cheek when he told me how much he loved his wife and how he was fearful she might leave him. This man who at first appeared hard-hearted was actually quite caring and tender. The longer we talked, the more I liked Ron. But I had to get past my first impression.

After Ron left my office that day, I thought of the story of Samuel looking for a king. God said, “The LORD does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart” (1 Samuel 16:7). That morning God used Ron to teach me to look beyond the surface and not jump to conclusions. I learned that things are not always as they seem. It’s a simple lesson – one I certainly already knew but desperately needed to be reminded of.

Each and every day God teaches me a lesson – frequently many lessons. Some are new and enlightening, and others are reminders of things I had forgotten or had not focused on recently. Some lessons have a heavy impact; others are small and seemingly less significant. Lessons come to us in hundreds of different ways. Yet if we are not keenly attentive, we miss them.

I probably miss too much of what God wants to teach me. If God were to send me a hundred lessons in a day and I were to get just one of them, I would consider myself blessed. Looking for lessons requires intentional determination to get beyond whatever distractions we may face. To find these lessons we must be willing to pay attention, dig deep, and work hard. We don’t appreciate what we have found if it is too easy. As Malcolm Muggeridge wrote: “Every happening, great or small, is a parable whereby God speaks to us, and the art of life is to get the message.”

On the surface, each day looks random and confusing, but that is frequently because we do not really look and we do not really think. Thinking means connecting things. It involves looking for meaning and wisdom in all that we encounter.

There is an order in this universe – an order that provides meaning and millions of amazing lessons. All we have to do is reach out and grab them.

The ordinary is only ordinary because we have grown used to it. The common, the simple, and the small often hold powerful lessons. Grace Crowell wrote: “The common tasks are beautiful, if we have eyes to see their shining ministry.” Laura Ingalls Wilder, author of Little House on the Prairie, put it this way: “I am beginning to learn that it is the sweet, simple things of life which are the real ones after all.” Yes, it is frequently the things we ignore that can teach us the most. They are the diamonds at our feet.

So, don’t ignore the little things; don’t label anything as insignificant or meaningless. We miss so much of what happens around us. Life’s lessons are infinite. Look for lessons everywhere. You can find them in the most wonderful and surprising places: in a song or a movie, on the bumper of a car, in a dream, in a smile, on an afternoon stroll, or even in a patch of sunlight. And yes, even if a dirty, smelly, arrogant Ron crosses the pathway of your life.

Every person we meet has a story to tell and a lesson to teach. We are surrounded by teachers – wise senior citizens, innocent children, close friends, complete strangers, even enemies and critics. All we have to do is look and listen.

A thousand lessons stand before you in a thousand different forms. Some are obvious, some are not. Open your eyes, your ears, your heart. Let your soul always stand ajar – seeking, waiting, and welcoming the next lesson.

And each evening as you turn out the light and let your head sink into the pillow, review the events of the day. Search for lessons that God has placed along your way – all those messages, both grand and simple, that are easily lost in the rush and clutter but could make your day much more meaningful.

Just like the lesson Ron taught me the day he stopped by my office. I’m glad I didn’t miss it.