What I Have Learned Thus Far

I have been a pilgrim and an explorer, a sojourner and an exile, a fool and a wiseman. I have learned — not by my own sight, but by the testimony of witnesses along the way — that height does not diminish perspective, but instructs it. I have seen both humility and pride wear their faces: to the humble, it is a silent witness; to the proud, a loud and self-serving commentary.

I have been all these things and more, and this is what I have learned thus far:

• Be wary when you consider yourself humble, for true humility does not recognize its own shape.

• We are rarely where we think we are. The eyes of our brothers and sisters in Christ often serve as a mirror — a silent, wordless reflection of our walk with God.

• To be full, we must become empty.

• To be empty is to become a vessel for what we are meant to carry.

• Pride is a devouring force. It often enters not with horns, but with a crown — lifting us in our own eyes before we even notice.

• None of us is an explorer. Christ has already charted the course and walked it in perfection. We are not pioneers, but reflections — some as crystal-clear windows like Paul, others dimly shaded, like the false prophets of old.

• We are each prone to temptation — often so cleverly disguised that it mimics authenticity in our walk.

I once believed myself humble — until I caught myself exalting my own spiritual understanding during a conversation with a brother in Christ. It is easy to interpret the Word and, from our lens, feel like a guide to the lost, offering commentary when perhaps encouragement was what was needed.

So we must be honest with ourselves. If we cannot see the speck in our own eye, we must trust God to send someone who can — someone who speaks in love.

Beware when you consider yourself a teacher, for true teachers never announce themselves.

Life is not about position. It is about posture — approach to the Father, through the Son.

Death is not the end, but a return to where we were, through where we are.

Transition is always happening — around us and within us.

When we speak, we cannot listen.

When we listen, we are preparing to speak while learning.

Age does not guarantee wisdom.

Wisdom has no need for a publicist.

We are all but dust.

The greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven will be the servant of all.

God does not build according to the blueprints of men. No hierarchy in His Kingdom mirrors the structures of this world.

And the greatest lesson I have learned?

I know nothing.

But I am always learning.