Life is Learning - Guest Post Series

Today we continue our series "Living as a Single Christian Woman" with Ann from Ann's Thoughts.

I have been very excited to hear that our series has encouraged several woman. I love to hearing how God has used this platform.

If you've been encouraged, challenged or have questions, please leave a comment or email me.

________________________________________________________

Have you ever watched a toddler learn? It is a fascinating process. From birth, physical growth is obvious almost daily. Then, somewhere around ten to twelve months of age, a child enters a phase of practically visible intellectual growth. Excitement literally radiates from their bodies as they discover new ideas, formulate new words, test new concepts, and practice new skills.

For a toddler, life is learning! Somewhere during our school years, we lose that excitement for learning. We begin to see learning as a means to an end and the joy of learning fades away. We just want to learn our lessons and pass our tests so we can move on.

We then carry this into our spiritual lives. When God is growing us, we want to learn our lessons so we can make it to whatever it is He’s preparing us to be or do. We want to pass our spiritual tests, thinking that once we’ve done that, we can have the desires of our hearts.

If we’re single, we can move on to marriage. If we’re childless, we can move into parenthood. If we’re unfulfilled in our current situation, we can find that perfect fit – that “thing” that fulfills us perfectly. And, once we achieve those goals, we can rest from all the learning and enjoy our dreams. After all, isn’t that the American dream?

God doesn’t teach us so we can live our dreams. God teaches us so we can become like Him, which ultimately is the totality of what we were created to be.

Our mentality must be changed. We must begin to realize that our journey is not a series of small lessons, each culminating in the fulfillment of personal desires. Instead, it is a life of learning that culminates in eternity with our Savior and Father.

For a toddler, walking is not a goal. It is a new skill that opens up many new doors for learning. In the same way, marriage is not a goal. Neither is parenthood, that dream job, or anything else.

When God introduces those things into our lives, they are tools in His hand to continue molding us into perfection. They are avenues through which we become more like Him and draw as many around us to Him as we can.

We are women of God. Let’s dig in to God’s Word and discover what that means. Let’s make that our life-long learning plan. And when we look up and realize that many of our hearts’ desires are being fulfilled, we will rejoice and continue learning until one day we really do reach that ultimate goal of eternity with Christ!

_________________________________________________

When not writing or blogging, Ann spends her time homeschooling and mothering her 3 children and supporting her husband in his role as pastor. You can read more posts by Ann at Ann's Thoughts.