Lessons Learned

These past couple of weeks have been full of learning! What exactly have I been learning? I’m glad you asked!

I have learned how to say several Ilongo phrases that I can use and not be scared if I’m saying them wrong…that’s a big accomplishment, in case you didn’t know : ) I have also learned, for the most part, how to maneuver around Bacolod using the public transportation!

I have learned that I will just have to live with ants. There’s no getting around it. But Joanna did share with me how to make anything ant proof! I was pretty excited about that one!

But more important than all these I learned something else.
I have learned that Satan attacks, but God will always give you strength to fight the battle. The past couple of weeks Satan has been creeping in. And I was letting him have those small victories.

Well the other day, Satan wasn’t creeping in he was standing there banging at the door. It was one of those moments that you just feel so defeated. His attacks had been strong and I was getting so tired of fighting. I know Jesus is the only One that can fight those battles for me…but sometimes Satan’s lies are SO loud and feel SO real. I was sitting on my bed feeling so defeated and alone, typing a message to a couple of friends asking them for prayer when all of the sudden it starts pouring outside. This isn’t just a light rain shower. It. Was. Pouring. It was so loud I could not hear anything. I just kind of sat there amazed at the intensity of the rain outside and thinking, “This is kind of creepy. I am typing a message about Satan being so loud. And the bottom is falling out. Weird.”

I finished typing the message and then it hit me. That rain…that rain that was SO loud, was God. It was Him showering His mercy and grace on me. Wow! I had no words. It was so overwhelming I just sat there and worshipped.

Just a couple of hours ago I was skyping with a friend telling her about that experience and she said the same thing. That the rain was God showering…no, pouring…down His grace and mercy. I told her grace and mercy are like patience. You know people tell you all the time not to pray for patience. Because God will give you ways for your patience to grow. Well wouldn’t grace and mercy work the same way? Without those trials, we would not need grace and mercy. It’s in those times of trials when grace and mercy come and we realize what a gift they are from God. And why are we so shocked when He does give us those things? It’s almost like we don’t really believe He will give us exactly what we need and when He does we are just so overwhelmed. We can’t not believe, but so often we do.

Some things are good to learn. Some things are essential to learn.