Experience Needed

“Experience is what you get when things don’t go the way you planned!” This statement is potentially one of the most powerful ones I have digested in a long time. It keeps coming back to me, but I will always remember the day that Gwen used it on me for the first time…

We were trying to figure out how to get from Singapore to Malacca, Malaysia by bus. We knew it was possible, we just didn’t know all the details. But we were game to figure it out and so we set off on a little adventure. The first bus took us across the causeway between Singapore and Malaysia. We went through Singapore immigrations, and then through Malaysian immigrations. That went well, but then we had to find the correct bus to get us to the regional bus terminal. We weren’t sure of several key points and in the end took the wrong bus to the wrong terminal. I was getting a bit frustrated, but Gwen pointed out that the whole reason we were taking this little adventure was so that we would know the correct way for future use. Then she pulled out the quote: “experience is what you get when things don’t go the way you planned…”

It’s a significant truth, and one that we now often use when we find ourselves in such appropriate circumstances. Have to say though; we still hate to find ourselves in those appropriate times!  Life is so much easier when we don’t need to gain additional experience…

Yesterday was one such day. We had ordered some cement to be delivered so that we could pour the footings and floor pad for the combination chicken coop and utility shed we have been working on. I did all the research I could on this process and felt that I had a good idea of the amount of cement needed and the process that we would need to work through… the internet is so full of useful tools and information! Even better our neighbor popped over to take a look at our project and gave us some invaluable input. By the time the truck pulled up we felt we were ready. All went well for the first hour or so as we poured the footings and floor pad, but then when we had all the cement we needed for our main project, our friendly delivery man informed us we still had about half a cubic yard of cement left that we had paid for. Okay, that was fine; I had ordered a bit more than I figured we needed just to be on the safe side… I had him dump the rest on our driveway where I figured we could move it to various smaller projects I had in mind, and we focused on finishing up our main project of smoothing out the floor pad.

Nic sounded the warning just as Gwen and I were done screeding the fresh concrete pad: There was about half a cubic yard of cement piled up in our driveway and drying fast in the noontime sun! (By the way did I mention that the temps were hitting well over 100 degrees at that point?) Do you have any idea how much a half a cubic yard is? I must admit, I had no clue until I saw it sitting there drying in our driveway! Unless we wanted a miniature cement mountain as a legacy to all time, we had to do something fast…

We almost didn’t make it. If it hadn’t been for the timely arrival of our neighborhood knight in shining armor riding in on his white horse (okay, it was actually a white pickup…) we might be figuring out how to landscape around an immovable mountain of concrete instead of having a cement driveway of sorts. Too much experience for one day let me assure you!!! (Several verses from Ecclesiastes 4 also come unbidden to mind…)

It is always our choice how we will respond when we make a mistake; when things don’t go the way we planned; when we fail in some way. Will we allow ourselves to become bitter, hardened, isolated & less vulnerable… will we turn inward, mumbling words like coulda, woulds, shoulda? Or will we make use of the opportunity to admit the fact that we blew it and grow with the experience gained? Will we turn to the One who is always there for us, to help us learn the lessons we need to learn, to offer us forgiveness and strength for a fresh start?

The book of Hebrews reminds us that Jesus is a friend and much more, who can relate to us as we find ourselves gaining experience in the hard places of life:  “Although He was a Son, He learned obedience from the things which He suffered. And having been made perfect, He became to all those who obey Him the source of eternal salvation, being designated by God as a high priest according to the order of Melchizedek.” And “For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who has been tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin. Therefore let us draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

Our experience gained in terms of pouring cement will be useful to us in the future. Any experience gained in terms of our spiritual walk will be ever so much more important in the long run, and the results longer lasting as well!