Things I've Learnt

The length of a year does not vary much at all from one to the next, well about 18 hours I guess from a long one to a short one. Yet, even with such regularity in the length of each year one can learn exceedingly different amounts from one to the next. I have always said in the years around my 21st birthday I learnt more than almost all the years leading up to that time. Of course that is not true, but it just felt like it.
In many ways no one ‘out there’ may really even care what I have learnt this year, but I thought I would write down the top three in case anyone wanted a little read:
Fatherhood is Glorious
This year our beautiful boy Malachi was born. For the 9 months that Kiralie was pregnant I felt like such a spectator, desperate to show my love to this ‘bump’ in some way possible. But you never know until the little one appears what it actually will be like when you are a father. My conclusion—absolutely amazing. The gift of parenting is a watershed for new realms of loving, both the giving and receiving of it. The positives overwhelmingly outweigh the negatives. I cannot express all that is truly wonderful about this calling.
Things almost always take longer
This year I have begun to grasp more clearly than ever before that things almost always take longer than you expect or plan. The wife and I set so many timelines and deadlines along with our expectations about when things would become clear or be settled and, more often than not, we were way off. Things happening normally involve decisions made. The more complex, or important, the decisions and outcome of things taking place the longer they seem to take. Patience is vital and hope must remain or else the ‘heart becomes sick.’ (Proverbs)
Trust God Alone
No matter how much we want to put our trust in men (includes women) ultimately we must stand upon our assurance that God is the same yesterday, today and tomorrow and is working in ‘all things for the good of those that love Him and are called according to His purpose.’ Don’t put all your eggs in any man’s basket. I have learnt that it can take just the misinterpretation of a sentence in a conversation to change a person’s understanding of you. The consequences of this can be immensely painful, and without hope that He who is able to do all things will come through in a divine moment I am not sure how one can get by. All leadership is human and they need the grace to be so; I think the only way this is possible is if your trust is primarily and finally in God.

For each of you may 2008 be known for devotion to Christ and His Kingdom along with resounding testimony of His marvellous work for His children to the Glory of His name.