No two people experience life the same way. Even when encountering the same thing, such as a ball game or performance, each comes with a unique perspective and understanding. I love the way different views can complement each other before, during and after a pleasant experience. That is how good memories are made.
Education, experience, and memories are three things that no one can take away from you.
H. Jackson Brown, Jr.
But when the experience is “bad?” There is no avoiding it. It is part of life.
We are not being abandoned or punished. God uses our experiences to grow us. If we let Him.
Experiences can give us clarity. If we are looking.
Or teach us something we have to know. If we are paying attention.
There may be no other path to learning.
“Some things cannot be taught; they must be experienced.
You never learn the most valuable lessons in life until you go through your own journey.”
Roy T. Bennett
They may be groundwork for the future.
Or offer new perspective. Two of my cancer surgeries included a tracheostomy. Measured against that, most other tests are no big deal.
Or it may not be about you at all. God may be asking you to go with Him into a dark place so you can be His hands to touch others.
Experience is what you get when you didn’t get what you wanted.
And experience is often the most valuable thing you have to offer.”
Randy Pausch
So, bottom line,
It is the Lord who directs your life,
for each step you take is ordained by God
to bring you closer to your destiny. Proverbs 20:24a The Passion Translation
God sees beyond our current limitations
and is constantly leading us to grow into the person He knows we can become.
Rick Warren
That leading? It’s what we call “experience.”