Things I have learned in my life

by Shawn Smith - July 22, 2005

I have learned that sometimes being poor can  be a blessing, while being rich can be a curse

I have learned that sometimes sickness is a source of forgiveness, while health can be a source of God's displeasure

I have learned that sometimes pain is trying to tell me something, while pleasure is trying to cover something up

I have learned that sometimes  it is more just to disobey the law than it is to obey it

I have learned that sometimes I feel alone in a crowd, yet when I am by myself I feel the nearness of God

I have learned that sometimes my true friends have been my perceived enemies, while my perceived friends have been my true enemies

I have learned that sometimes I am a failure when I try my hardest, and a success when I do nothing at all

I have learned that sometimes when I feel the most brilliant, that is the time I lack the most knowledge

I have learned that a person's religion, gender, skin colour, education or station in life is not a measurement of the content of their character

I have learned that truth can be found in the utterances of babes, while falsehood can be resident in the sayings of wise men

I have learned that one's bank account may be overflowing, but if his soul is empty then he is miserable

I have learned that whenever I say "I will never do this or that," then God makes sure that I end up doing "this or that"

I have learned that if God were to say yes to all of my prayers then I would have been ruined. Thus, I live to thank God that He has not answered all of my prayers

I have learned that sometimes when I feel like giving up on myself, that God never gives up on me