Well, we’re here. As of this past weekend, Summer has reached 30 years on earth. Does she speak in third person sometimes?

Some things don’t change. 🙂

A few weeks ago, I made an eye appointment that was months overdue with my eye doctor office. The woman who answered the phone was talkative as she took my information to pull up my account. When I told her my birthday, she was like girl, no way! Turning 30 soon. I said, “Yeah, not excited. Kind of dreading it.” She explained that there’s nothing to dread. 30 is a great number. She also said that if you learned anything in the past decade, then it wasn’t wasted time and you’re all the better for it. At that particular time, that’s what I needed that day, and I’ve thought about that a lot. What have I learned?

I started off with the idea of listing 30 things I learned in 30 years. Listing all that is hard though so we’re down to 10 things here, folks. Mostly because when I started the list, it was like the day before my birthday even though I had been letting it sit in my head for 2 weeks. Don’t you love procrastination?

On another note, my eye appointment was cancelled due to weather and I’ve never rescheduled! LOL

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1. Love

Love on earth can be fleeting. The love of God is perfect and eternal. If we confuse what love really is, we can rarely find anything but hurt.

(1 John 4:7-21)

2. Primary lessons

Things learned from an early age are built on the older you get. They form a foundation for later lessons in life. Our faith is built on how we start – whenever that may be life. Where is our foundation?

(1 Corinthians 3:10-15, 1 Peter 2)

3. One & Done

Being Christian is defined possibly by one turning point in one’s life, one decision that changes the trajectory of a life. Only, the Christian life isn’t a one and done thing. It’s a continuous journey of sanctification. It’s learning and growing, repenting and turning, to deepen over time.

(Hebrews 12, Philippians 3)

4. Words Matter

What we consume through our reading is important. Is it pointing you to Jesus or leading you astray? Words can fill our minds with unhealthy thoughts and visuals while other words can lift us up and point us in the right direction.

(Proverbs 18:21, Matthew 12:36-37)

5. The Truth Comes Out

Not everyone will tell you who they are. They don’t have a quick bio when you meet someone, and you don’t cover everything in conversations. Given time, the truth comes out eventually.

(Luke 12:1-3, Mark 4:21-25)

6. Grief

In my life, I’ve seen many people in my family and friend groups pass away, even at an early age. The one that hurt the most was the passing of my Dad. Grief isn’t short term or one day, one moment feeling. Grief ebbs and flows through life. Grief isn’t present only in death, but also over things that have gone, things not come to fruition and things unseen. These things can call for repentance and the need to look to our Savior. In grief we find the deepest hope that reaches down to us.

(2 Corinthians 7, Psalm 34, Matthew 5:4, Revelation 21:4)

7. Take Care

Taking care of the body we’re given is important. I wish I had been more intentional about this a decade ago, but it’s not too late to start.

(1 Corinthians 6:19-20, Romans 12:1)

8. Timing

it’s everything. Sometimes the time we think is right isn’t what God says it is. At the right time, God works it all out. If we’re rushing a timeline that doesn’t align with His will, we may not see the fruit of that labor.

(Ecclesiastes 3)

9. Waiting

Related to timing, waiting is a part of life. How we spend that time matters. Are we growing and leaning on Him in the waiting room? Or are we wasting time because we’re waiting for something greater than the in between? Waiting is not passive – it’s active.

(Isaiah 40:31, Psalm 27:14)

10. Get Serious

I love joking around, but just like there’s a time for everything and everything has it’s time, there’s things we need to be serious about. We should be serious about honest, intentional relationships and we should be serious about our faith and encourage peers and those that are younger and coming behind you.

(1 Peter 4:7, Titus 2:6, Philippians 4:8)

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Honorable mentions:

• Even if you’ve gotten older, you’re still learning. Give yourself the grace and space to do so.
• He doesn’t call the equipped. He equips the called.
• Don’t despise the small things. It all counts and adds up (in everyday life and God’s kingdom).
• Your GPA doesn’t determine your success in the workplace.
• Our blessings from God are used to bless others.
• Being single or “behind” in the eyes of our culture isn’t bad. If you’re following Jesus, you’re not even missing out.

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Have you ever thought about reflecting on the last few years and thinking about the things you learned in that time? Have we learned any of the same things? Let me know!

I hope you have a great week and find the encouragement you need. 🙂