Love Learning But Use What You Know
Carol says we should love to learn but use what we know by being faithful with our time and our talents and abilities for the glory of God.
How do we learn and serve? Share your comment below or contact us at HopeStreamRadio.
A Love of Learning
I love to learn. Sometimes I wish I could afford to be a professional student. With this love of learning comes a feeling of never knowing enough to actually do something with what I already know. I am like a crow being drawn to shiny objects when I hear about workshops or classes on things I like to do or want to learn more about. Yet time and finances often dictate that I decline signing up for more opportunities of formal learning. Now don’t get me wrong – I believe we always need to be learning in order to grow.
Learning From Others
I look at and learn from others who are further along the writing and speaking journey I hear things about knowing our audience, finding our niche market and promoting what you do. These things can apply to anything we do and businesses we run or want to open. One word – expert – makes me shy away in fear. What am I an expert in? Maybe nothing or maybe I have some knowledge. Yet I desperately long for more information before I would dare think of myself as an expert. I often discount how much I have already learned through courses and experience.
Use What You Know
I was searching for more classes I could take or workshops to attend or how to books to read. My husband looked at me and said, “I think it’s time you use what you already know before just taking more classes.”
My first response to this use what I know – put into practice the theoretical information I had already accumulated was, “But I don’t know enough. I want to keep learning.”
Then I realized he had a point. Even while we continue to learn and grow we need to put into practice the things we already can do in order to be a good steward of everything including time, money and abilities. What does this look like? How do I implement it in my daily life – fit it into the puzzle picture forming that is unique to me?
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Learning and Using What I Know
Implementing this will be different for each person. Everyone has things that need to be completed each day of their lives as well as the creative endeavours or fun experiences that make up our lives. For me it involves figuring out how and where storytelling fits in with learning and using what I know already.
For my writing I take advantage of free workshops at the library on occasion, attend a writers’ conference or other one day workshops. I hang out and share information with other writers in person or on line. In addition to these wonderful short term learning opportunities, I continue to write, to submit to various places or contests and learn from critiques. Then I write more and submit other pieces or share my writing with a group of friends.
Practising My Existing Skills
For the speaking part of storytelling, I continue to go to Toastmasters in order to mentor others and practise the skills I already have. I love to tell stories and do so whenever I get the opportunity including here on HopeStreamRadio. It is an ongoing challenge to learn how to be a good steward in every area of my life and use what God has given me.
Using Time
We all share the same puzzle piece of time which includes twenty-four housr each day, no matter who we are or where we live. We all have finances which vary for each of us and at different times in our lives. We have puzzle pieces called abilities, skills and gifts that God has given us which are not meant to be hidden away, unused and maybe even denied.
What we do with these puzzle pieces is up to us. We can choose to use them wisely or waste them. Colossians 3:17 says, “And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.”
This verse challenges my thinking about how the little things I do are not worth much. Everything no matter how little or big, no matter how much or how little I think I know how to do can be used for the glory of God.
I Corinthians 4: 2, “Now it is required that those who have been given a trust must prove faithful”
How Am I Graded
A question our pastor asked at church one Sunday morning was, “How successfully would I be graded on my stewardship of all God has entrusted to me?” He went on to say, “our stewardship does not only apply to material wealth no matter how little or uch that might be but also to our family members, our other relationships, our time, our talents, our education or anything else God has entrusted us with.”
I pray I can be faithful with everything I have and own and already know how to do. What do you already know and do you use it?
Carol Harrison
Listen to Carol’s program Puzzle Pieces Of Life.
Carol Harrison B.Ed is a speaker and published author with one book, Amee’s Story and stories in twelve anthologies. She is passionate about helping people of all ages and ability levels find their voice and reach their fullest potential.
She knows, through personal experience that some of life’s experiences are tougher than others. She encourages people that even in the twists and turns of life God’s amazing grace provides hope. She lives in Saskatoon, SK with her husband Brian. They have four adult children and a dozen grandchildren.
Visit Carol’s website carolscorner.ca
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