Entry # 200 ... Milestones and Millstones
I can't believe that this is my 200th entry in my BLOG ... after over 10 years of blogging ... I finally made it to #200!!
On Sunday, 22 January 2012, Kaylah turned 1 year old ... I'm sure she probably won't live to be 200 but nonetheless, it is so exciting to see new life growing every day. She is like a giant, yet mini sponge - learning sounds to make mostly unintentionally spoken words, learning new skills such as crawling like a dog holding some inanimate object between her teeth and now, more recently, she's taken to holding two objects in one hand! I watch her in amazement at each new achievement and milestone being attained, grappled with, incorporated, learnt until it becomes second nature and then surpassed for the next "bigger and better" thing to be tried, tested and utilised in the journey of life! Amazing!
I find myself in awe of her ability, desire and natural instinct to learn and be taught! I questioned if I was still that keen to learn and be taught by God and others who are more learned than I and it caused me to pause and reflect on this for a long while. At what point in our lives, if ever, do we think we've got it, learnt all there is to learn about ourselves and think that we just know it all and have achieved it all whether it be status, significance, or just pure personal satisfaction?! I believe if we ever did think we have reached this point, it would be a sad day for us and those around us because, there is always more to learn, skills to be tried and tested, goals to yearn for, reach and surpass and someone who is able to teach us more about ourselves than we already know.
I hope I never get bored of learning new things about myself, about God and about the world ... I pray that I will constantly be surprised and never offended when, either directly or inadvertently, I discover inadequacies about myself that can be changed, flaws and rough edges that can be smoothed and rounded and sharp bits that can be chipped away to reveal a deeper, inner beauty that is pleasing and acceptable to God and those around me.
Let me never be held back or forced under by millstones that gather around my neck ... millstones that I have allowed others to place upon me or that I have unwittingly and sometimes knowingly placed around my own neck! If I permit these millstones to shadow or destroy the milestones I wish to achieve, life will grind to a halt, learning will cease to be exciting, motivating and challenging and the future will be mundane and predictable. Millstones are heavy and serve one main purpose which is to grind grain to a fine powder in order to be used as flour which is then recreated into bread and other delicious edible delights. Millstones serve a "destructive" purpose, therefore, if they are "hanging around our neck" and not encouraging or motivating us to change for something good, we are in danger of allowing them to simply weigh us down to our own detriment and potentially, our own self destruction.
Change is exciting ... scary no doubt, but worth the effort for the many different outcomes and possibilities that the process may bring. Just as Kaylah's world has changed so dramatically in 1 year, her transformation from being a dependent infant who couldn't do a thing for herself to holding two objects in one hand, babbling joyful sounds and jigging up and down doing her own little belly dance, have shown me that my world can and should continue to change too! My desire this year, 2012 is to draw closer to knowing God through learning, reading, teaching, being taught, grappling with His word, expecting to sense His presence through the power of the Holy Spirit, praying with confidence that He hears my murmurs and altogether being an obedient servant and vessel for His glory!
If nothing else, my milestones will not be hindered by my millstones!
This photo somehow reminded me that I put "millstones" around my neck like I wrap a scarf around my neck from time to time ... it serves a purpose but I don't need it to be there permanently thank goodness!
On Sunday, 22 January 2012, Kaylah turned 1 year old ... I'm sure she probably won't live to be 200 but nonetheless, it is so exciting to see new life growing every day. She is like a giant, yet mini sponge - learning sounds to make mostly unintentionally spoken words, learning new skills such as crawling like a dog holding some inanimate object between her teeth and now, more recently, she's taken to holding two objects in one hand! I watch her in amazement at each new achievement and milestone being attained, grappled with, incorporated, learnt until it becomes second nature and then surpassed for the next "bigger and better" thing to be tried, tested and utilised in the journey of life! Amazing!
I find myself in awe of her ability, desire and natural instinct to learn and be taught! I questioned if I was still that keen to learn and be taught by God and others who are more learned than I and it caused me to pause and reflect on this for a long while. At what point in our lives, if ever, do we think we've got it, learnt all there is to learn about ourselves and think that we just know it all and have achieved it all whether it be status, significance, or just pure personal satisfaction?! I believe if we ever did think we have reached this point, it would be a sad day for us and those around us because, there is always more to learn, skills to be tried and tested, goals to yearn for, reach and surpass and someone who is able to teach us more about ourselves than we already know.
I hope I never get bored of learning new things about myself, about God and about the world ... I pray that I will constantly be surprised and never offended when, either directly or inadvertently, I discover inadequacies about myself that can be changed, flaws and rough edges that can be smoothed and rounded and sharp bits that can be chipped away to reveal a deeper, inner beauty that is pleasing and acceptable to God and those around me.
Let me never be held back or forced under by millstones that gather around my neck ... millstones that I have allowed others to place upon me or that I have unwittingly and sometimes knowingly placed around my own neck! If I permit these millstones to shadow or destroy the milestones I wish to achieve, life will grind to a halt, learning will cease to be exciting, motivating and challenging and the future will be mundane and predictable. Millstones are heavy and serve one main purpose which is to grind grain to a fine powder in order to be used as flour which is then recreated into bread and other delicious edible delights. Millstones serve a "destructive" purpose, therefore, if they are "hanging around our neck" and not encouraging or motivating us to change for something good, we are in danger of allowing them to simply weigh us down to our own detriment and potentially, our own self destruction.
Change is exciting ... scary no doubt, but worth the effort for the many different outcomes and possibilities that the process may bring. Just as Kaylah's world has changed so dramatically in 1 year, her transformation from being a dependent infant who couldn't do a thing for herself to holding two objects in one hand, babbling joyful sounds and jigging up and down doing her own little belly dance, have shown me that my world can and should continue to change too! My desire this year, 2012 is to draw closer to knowing God through learning, reading, teaching, being taught, grappling with His word, expecting to sense His presence through the power of the Holy Spirit, praying with confidence that He hears my murmurs and altogether being an obedient servant and vessel for His glory!
If nothing else, my milestones will not be hindered by my millstones!
This photo somehow reminded me that I put "millstones" around my neck like I wrap a scarf around my neck from time to time ... it serves a purpose but I don't need it to be there permanently thank goodness!
posted by Vanoosh at
3:29 pm
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