Encouragement
Life Lessons
I have a friend who will turn 40 this month. I am 14 years older than she, and yet, we get along beautifully.
Friendship can be a funny thing. It can bridge age gaps, race, distance and time. I have one friend who has been a close friend since before kindergarten. Even though we may only see each other a couple of times a year, when we get together, it’s as if we saw each other just a few days earlier. The passage of time falls away and we’re young once again. Giggling, silly girls.
My friend who turns 40 this month told me last night that she frequently feels alone – that no one else is in the position she finds herself in at any given moment. She also said that sometimes she feels like she’s 12 years old again. I asked her if that meant she feels immature. “Not immature – more like inexperienced,” she answered. I told her I certainly did not think of her as inexperienced and I don’t think anyone else who knows her feels that way about her.
As I pondered our conversation later, I realized I completely understand what she is feeling. Although our respective life situations at 40 are totally different (she’s married with 5 children and at 40, I was recently divorced raising my daughter and son), I remember feeling exactly the way she feels. It was as if I hadn’t really lived – had not experienced life and learned from the experiences. But I had – and so has my friend. We learn from every situation we go through. We may not learn the right lesson, but we learn. When we learn the wrong lesson, we usually get a second chance to learn the right lesson. One friend calls this second chance “going around the same mountain again.” In other words, we repeat that situation and make the wrong choice again and again until we finally “get it.”
As my friend moves through the early 40’s of her life, she will realize what I finally understood – that all along she has known more – experientially – than she thought she did. She will remember situations and the lesson or lessons she learned from each experience. She will come to understand that she is not inexperienced – quite the opposite, in fact – but still growing.
And she will realize she is not alone, but rather unique, as we all are. No one is created to be exactly like anyone else. Twins come close, but even they will have some differences.
So, Happy Birthday, Heather! May you continue to grow through your experiences and in your own uniqueness. After all, you are who your Creator designed you to be!
(C) 2008 Edwina Cowgill
PLEASE ENCOURAGE AUTHOR BELOW LEAVE COMMENT ON ARTICLE
Reader Count & Comments
Date
I enjoyed your article. Isn't it amazing how the passing of time and just life itself changes our perspective? GOD BLESS YOU
The opinions expressed by authors do not necessarily reflect the opinion of FaithWriters.com. This is especially true with articles that
deal with personal healthcare and prophecy. We encourage the reader to make their own decision in consultation with God, His Word, and others as needed.
This article has been read 848 times < Previous | Next >
Read more articles by Edwina Cowgill or search for other articles by topic below.
This article has been read 848 times < Previous | Next >
Search for articles on: (e.g. creation; holiness etc.)
Read more by clicking on a link:Free Reprints
Main Site Articles
Most Read Articles
Highly Acclaimed Challenge Articles.
New Release Christian Books for Free for a Simple Review.
NEW - Surprise Me With an Article - Click here for a random URL
God is Not Against You - He Came on an All Out Rescue Mission to Save You
...in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them... 2 Cor 5:19
Therefore, my friends, I want you to know that through Jesus the forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you. Acts 13:38
LEARN & TRUST JESUS HERE
FaithWriters offers Christian reading material for Christian readers. We offer Christian articles, Christian fiction, Christian non-fiction, Christian Bible studies, Christian poems, Christian articles for sale, free use Christian articles, Christian living articles, New Covenant Christian Bible Studies, Christian magazine articles and new Christian articles. We write for Jesus about God, the Bible, salvation, prayer and the word of God.